In the early summer of 1994, Chen Longcan returned to Japan with mixed feelings. This Chinese male player, who once galloped in the table tennis world, is now ushering in the biggest harvest in his life - a healthy and lovely son.
At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Chen Longcan and his partner Wei Qingguang won the men's doubles gold medal and achieved the pinnacle of their lives. After that, he chose to retire and went to Japan to work as a player and coach for Yamaha FC.
There, he spent ten years working together with his wife, Song Yan, who is also from China, to create a business.
As the backbone of the Chinese men's table tennis team at that time, Chen Longcan won the championship at the 1985 World Table Tennis Championships and the 1986 World Cup. In 1987, he and Wei Qingguang won the men's doubles gold medal again at the World Table Tennis Championships.
The 1988 Seoul Olympics was the pinnacle of his career, as he and his partner won the gold medal in a fierce competition. These brilliant achievements undoubtedly make him enjoy a high status in the table tennis world.
Now recalling the scene of fighting the field back then, Chen Longcan's eyes are still full of passion. Those fierce games, those sweat and tears, are all engraved in his memory.
As a professional athlete, he has experienced countless hardships and tribulations, but in the end, with his tenacious will and outstanding talent, he has written a brilliant chapter in the table tennis world.
Now, he's retired from the field and has become a coach. However, his love and dedication to table tennis have never been extinguished in his heart. He always pays attention to the development of the sport and spares no effort to cultivate a new generation of table tennis talents.
As a father, Chen Longcan also cherishes every moment with his son. He hopes to pass on the valuable experience he has accumulated in the table tennis arena over the years to this lovely child, so that he can also achieve brilliant achievements on the road in the future.
Although there were still some hardships in life at that time, as long as he had this lovely son by his side, Chen Longcan felt that everything was worth it.
For this legend of Chinese table tennis, 1994 is undoubtedly a very important turning point in his life. From athlete to coach to father, he is constantly seeking to realize his self-worth in different roles.
Even though he has stayed away from the arena, his love and dedication to table tennis are still the inexhaustible motivation to support his progress.
Sichuan Old House
The autumn of 2001 was high and crisp, coinciding with China's National Day. Chen Longcan stood on the street of his hometown in Sichuan, staring at the familiar scenery for a long time, with mixed feelings in his heart.
He has been working hard in Japan for many years, and now he has finally made up his mind to return to his hometown with his wife and children. In 2000, the Japan Table Tennis Association once again extended an olive branch to Chen Longcan and sincerely invited him to become a Japanese citizen.
For this Chinese male player who once galloped in the table tennis world, this is undoubtedly a great temptation. However, in the end, he resolutely refused.
You know, at that time, it was undoubtedly an enviable thing to be able to obtain Japanese citizenship. Many athletes dream of becoming Japanese citizens and gaining more opportunities for development.
And Chen Longcan has never been moved. He knows that although he has been working in Japan for many years, he has never been able to give up his attachment and feelings for the motherland. What's more, his parents are also getting old and need his care.
In this way, after repeated considerations, Chen Longcan made up his mind to return to his hometown in Sichuan with his wife Song Yan and son Chen Dinghao. They said goodbye to bustling Tokyo and boarded a flight to Chengdu.
When he got off the plane, Chen Dinghao's eyes were full of reluctance, and he still preferred Japan, where he grew up. But looking at his father's firm expression, he also understood that this was his father's decision, so he had to silently follow his parents into this strange city.
After returning to Sichuan, Chen Longcan resolutely resigned from his coaching job at the Japanese club. Although the living conditions at that time were much worse than those in Japan, he still chose to return to his homeland and contribute to the table tennis career in his hometown.
As a Chinese, Chen Longcan has always maintained a strong patriotic feeling. Even after working in a foreign country for many years, he never thought of becoming a Japanese citizen.
For him, the motherland is his true belonging, and he can't turn his back on his deep attachment to this hot land.
During his time in Japan, Chan worked for a number of clubs in a dual role as a player and coach. He spent a very healthy life there, and also met his wife Song Yan.
But even in the face of repeated sincere invitations from the Japan Table Tennis Association, he still resolutely rejected the proposal to become a Japanese citizen.
He knows very well that even if he can get more opportunities and preferential treatment, his inner attachment to the motherland cannot be parted. What's more, his parents are also beginning to grow old and need his care.
In this way, after careful consideration, Chen Longcan finally made the decision to return to China.
Although life was a little difficult at that time, Chen Longcan still chose to return to his hometown in Sichuan without hesitation. He knew it meant adapting to a new environment, but he was determined to contribute to the sporting community in his hometown.
After many years of working in a foreign country, he finally returned to the land he knew and started a new chapter in his life.
Speaking of Chen Longcan, we have to go back to the 80s of the last century when he emerged in the table tennis world. At that time, he was still a high-spirited young man, but he had already left a deep mark on table tennis events at home and abroad.
At the 38th World Table Tennis Championships in 1985, Chen Longcan, who was only 20 years old, jumped into the center stage of the international arena for the first time and became the second main force of the national table tennis men's team.
Although he regretted conceding a goal in the group stage due to nervousness, in the subsequent semi-finals, he fought hard and defeated the No. 1 main team of the Japanese team 5-0 to help the Chinese team successfully advance to the final.
In the final, Chen Longcan met his strongest opponent - Sweden's Waldner. In the first two games, the two scored one point each, and at the beginning of the crucial third game, Chen Longcan was led 20-15, but unfortunately the opponent pulled four points in a row, and the situation was critical.
But at this critical moment, he finally pulled back a city with tenacious willpower, won the game 21-19, and finally helped the Chinese team defeat the opponent with a total score of 2-1 and lift the men's team championship trophy.
Subsequently, in 1986, Chen Longcan won the men's singles championship trophy in the Table Tennis World Cup with his wonderful performance, beating teammate Jiang Jialiang. In the same year, he teamed up with teammate Wei Qingguang and won the men's doubles gold medal at the 39th World Table Tennis Championships, establishing the status of the first men's doubles combination of the national table tennis team.
This year, Chen Longcan also won the honor of "National Top Ten Athletes" for his outstanding sports achievements.
In that glorious 1985, in the smoke of the World Table Tennis Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, Chen Longcan helped the Chinese team win the unrivaled championship of the men's team event with his outstanding performance.
The hero, who defeated the famous Lin Huiqing in the semi-finals, quickly became an idol in the hearts of the majority of fans.
However, just as everyone was expecting his future, the 1988 Seoul Olympics were again a pivotal moment in his career. In that high-profile event, although Chen Longcan failed to achieve the desired results in the individual singles event, in the men's doubles pair formed with Wei Qingguang, they finally defeated their fierce rival from the former Yugoslavia with tenacious struggle and won the gold medal in one fell swoop.
Chen Longcan's performance undoubtedly added a dazzling brilliance to Chinese sports. As the backbone of the Chinese men's table tennis team at that time, he, together with star players such as Jiang Jialiang and Wei Qingguang, frequently won cups in the international arena, making the strength of Chinese men's table tennis the absolute dominance of the world table tennis at that time.
Their heroism on the field made all the fans crazy.
Despite occasional regrets in individual singles events, Chen Longcan undoubtedly became one of the brightest stars in the Chinese table tennis scene of that era with his outstanding performances in team and doubles events.
His outstanding skills and tenacious will have made countless fans respect him, and he has become an idol in the hearts of the majority of fans.
Won the gold medal in men's doubles
In September 1988, the 24th Summer Olympic Games were grandly opened in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. This is a world-renowned sports festival, attracting more than 8,000 athletes from nearly 100 countries and regions to participate in the competition.
As a participant in the table tennis event, the Chinese team has a strong lineup, including two superstars, Chen Longcan and Wei Qingguang.
In the men's team event, although Chen Longcan and his teammates failed to achieve ideal results in the individual singles event, in the men's doubles, they finally showed their strength.
The golden duo of Chen Longcan and Wei Qingguang, with tacit cooperation and excellent skills, passed all the way in the fierce competition, and finally defeated the fierce rival from the former Yugoslavia, climbed to the top of the podium, and won the gold medal.
This is undoubtedly the most glorious moment of Chen Longcan's life. While realizing his personal dream, he also reported a brilliant report card for Chinese sports. When he stood on the podium, holding the gold medal in his hand, and receiving the focus of countless flashing lights, his heart must have been filled with great pride and pride.
Years of hard training have finally paid off at this moment.
In that era, the strength of Chinese men's table tennis could be described as the absolute dominance of the world table tennis at that time. In addition to the golden pair of Chen Longcan and Wei Qingguang, there are also players with outstanding strength such as Jiang Jialiang and Xu Zengcai.
They squandered their youth on the field, frequently lifted the championship trophy, won glory for the country, and also made all the fans crazy.
Regrettably, in the individual singles event, Chen Longcan did not achieve the desired results. Although he fought tenaciously in the quarter-finals, he was ultimately defeated by Hungary's Krampal and missed out on reaching the semi-finals.
However, even if he failed to show his skills in the singles arena, Chen Longcan still became the mainstay of Chinese men's table tennis at that time with his outstanding performance in the doubles event.
In that era of grandeur and fierceness, the entire Chinese men's table tennis team showed amazing strength. Their heroic performance will undoubtedly be forever etched in the hearts of fans around the world.
At that time, many people were full of expectations, hoping to witness a series of championship-winning feats from the Chinese team in this grand event.
In the end, although the Chinese men's table tennis team failed to fully achieve their expectations in the individual singles event, they still delivered an excellent result in the men's doubles event. The golden partnership of Chen Longcan and Wei Qingguang, with excellent tacit cooperation and exquisite skills, passed all the way, and finally defeated a strong opponent from the former Yugoslavia and won the gold medal.
This is undoubtedly one of the most glorious moments in the history of Chinese sports. Chen Longcan and Wei Qingguang won the gold medal on the podium, representing the absolute dominance of the Chinese table tennis team in the world table tennis at that time.
Their heroic performance will forever be engraved in the hearts of all fans and become a model for future generations to learn from.