As the pace of the Paris Olympics is getting closer and closer, the preparation of the national table tennis team (national table tennis) has naturally become the focus of attention of the majority of fans. In particular, this international sports event is widely regarded as the retirement of national table tennis head coach Li Falcon. Li Falcon, the coach who will turn 60 in 2023, was supposed to retire as required. However, in view of the particularity of the Paris Olympic cycle and the shortage of manpower in the national table tennis coaching team, he decided to continue to take charge and lead the team to the Olympics. Li Falcon's decision is not only a challenge to his career, but also a deep dedication to the national team. After all, he has cultivated a number of world champions such as Wang Nan and Zhang Yining, and has contributed an important force to the glorious history of national table tennis.
However, with the imminent departure of Coach Li Falcon, the successor of the head coach of the national table tennis has become a hot topic. Ma Lin, despite being an outstanding athlete in national table tennis, was recently disqualified from the Olympics due to consecutive losses in international competitions, which undoubtedly dealt a big blow to his coaching career and deprived him of the opportunity to become a head coach.
Among the remaining candidates, Wang Hao, Xiao Zhan and Qin Zhijian became the most likely successors. Among them, Wang Hao and Xiao Zhan, as the active coaches of national table tennis, seem to have a greater possibility of ascending. However, with Liu Guoliang's recent official statement, Qin Zhijian's situation seems to have taken a turn for the better. Qin Zhijian, the former favorite who did not sign up during the 2023 coach competition and chose to return to the Table Tennis Association, may become a dark horse. His return is not only because the table tennis association needs his administrative skills, but also because he was recently selected by Liu Guoliang as one of the team leaders to participate in the Macau World Cup, which shows that his status in national table tennis is still unshakable.
The appearance of He Xiao and the cooperation of Qin Zhijian indicate that there may be new changes in the future layout of national table tennis. He Xiao is mainly responsible for the administrative work of the Table Tennis Association, while Qin Zhijian is expected to return as the head coach of the national table tennis team. If Qin Zhijian really becomes the head coach, compared to Wang Hao and Xiao Zhan, his experience and previous performance may greatly reduce the controversy over this position and bring a new development direction for national table tennis.