In the world of table tennis, Rong Guotuan used to be a glorious name. A young athlete won the first world championship gold medal in China's history at the age of 21 with his extraordinary talent, holding up the hope and glory of a nation in front of the eyes of the world.
However, the story behind it is far more complex and poignant than the brilliance on the field. When this hero chose to end his life at the age of 31 due to the torture of tuberculosis and the weight of life, the whole country was shocked and puzzled, what kind of story is hidden behind it?
Rong Guotuan's first experience of table tennis
In 1953, the Hong Kong Open Table Tennis Championships were held as scheduled in the hot summer months, with players from all walks of life converging in the bustling port city to compete for the glory of the event.
As an emerging force in the game, the Dongmai team is eye-catching, especially the 16-year-old Rong Guotuan.
The venue of the match was set up in a large stadium, and the spectator seats were filled with spectators from all walks of life, whose applause and cheers echoed in the air to cheer on the players on the field.
Dressed in standard white sportswear and holding his frequently used table tennis racket, Yung looked unusually calm when facing his opponents.
Before each match, he always practices a few balls to adjust his feel and rhythm. His style of play is known for his speed and accuracy, often catching opponents off guard by dropping the ball in unexpected corners.
During the competition, Yung Kwok Tuan showcased his superb skills and extraordinary adaptability. In many matchups in the team competition, he relied on his keen observation and quick reaction to win key points for the Dongmai team many times.
Especially in the semi-finals, when facing an experienced opponent, he turned the tide of the game with several consecutive precise smashes and scrubs, and finally helped the Tomai team defeat the opponent and advance to the final.
Despite the team's failure to win in the final, Yung Guotuan's performance won bursts of applause and praise from the audience, and his agile skills and tactical use attracted a lot of attention.
After the game, although the Dongmai team only won the runner-up, the name of Yung Kwok Tuan began to circulate in the Hong Kong table tennis community.
However, the light on the field did not shine into the shadows of Rong Guotuan's daily life. The owner of the fishing bank, although he declared that he was proud of the Dongmai team after the game, did not make any improvement in the personal treatment of Rong Guotuan.
In the days of working in the fishing industry, Rong Guotuan still went out early and returned late every day, engaged in repetitive and heavy manual labor. He lived a simple and hard life, with a meager salary, and barely had money left to buy better equipment or pay for any additional training.
In the following months, the training conditions of the Rong Kuo regiment did not improve. He can only train on his own with limited time and resources outside of work.
Sometimes, he would use the wall as a practice opponent in the alley near the fishing shop to hone his basic skills. This difficult environment did not diminish his passion for table tennis, but made him more determined to improve his skills.
Difficult years and life struggles
In a regional table tennis competition, Rong Guotuan's fate suffered a major blow. The competition is intense, and every round is full of competition and challenges.
During a swift exchange of balls, an accident happened: an extremely fast ball hit him in the waist.
The momentary pain made it almost impossible for him to continue the race, but he gritted his teeth and persevered to finish the race. Although his team failed to win, his personal courage and perseverance earned him the respect of the spectators on the sidelines.
After the match, Rong Guotuan's lower back pain was not relieved, but gradually worsened because he did not receive professional treatment in time.
Back in the fishing industry, his daily routine required a lot of physical labor, including lifting heavy loads and standing for long periods of time, activities that exacerbated his injuries.
Due to financial constraints, he was unable to pay for the doctor's consultation and necessary medical treatment. He relied on the most basic painkillers available in pharmacies to relieve his pain, which provided temporary relief but did not treat the underlying problem.
Repetitive exertion and constant pain affected his overall health, and the working environment in the fishing industry was not ideal, with dust and humidity putting additional stress on his respiratory system.
After a few months, Rong Guotuan began to experience frequent chest tightness and difficulty breathing, and the initial self-diagnosis made him extremely uneasy.
These symptoms gradually worsened, and after one exertion, Rong Guotuan coughed more severely, accompanied by pain and fatigue. On the strong recommendation of a colleague, he finally went to a small clinic for a check-up.
After a brief examination and asking about symptoms, the doctor told him that these could be the first signs of tuberculosis.
Hearing such a diagnosis, Yung felt an unprecedented sense of pressure and fear, but his financial situation prevented him from undergoing further detailed examinations or receiving effective treatment.
In the following days, Rong Guotuan's health became worse and worse, and his physical and mental state decreased significantly.
He tried his best to maintain a normal work and life, but frequent coughing and constant fatigue made it increasingly difficult for him to cope with the daily work pressure.
The call of the nation and the persistence in the sickness
Early one morning in October 1957, Rong Guotuan received an official invitation letter from the State Sports Commission, inviting him to work at the Guangzhou Institute of Physical Education and begin receiving necessary treatment.
At the time, he was battling the serious health problem of tuberculosis. For him, this invitation was both a fresh beginning and a hope for healing and restoring his health.
After accepting the invitation, Rong Guotuan quickly arranged a trip to Guangzhou. After arriving at the Guangzhou Institute of Physical Education, he was placed in a dormitory provided by the college, where the living conditions were very different from those he had in Hong Kong.
The dormitory is well-equipped and provides him with a comfortable and quiet resting environment, which is essential for his recovery.
At the medical center of the Guangzhou Institute of Physical Education, Rong Guotuan underwent a series of detailed medical examinations, including chest X-ray and sputum analysis, to confirm his health condition.
Doctors developed a comprehensive treatment plan for him, including regular medication and necessary rest, as well as moderate physical activity, to help him gradually regain his strength and health.
Despite undergoing treatment, Yung has not given up his love and dedication to table tennis. On the advice and supervision of his doctor, he began a modest training program.
The Guangzhou Institute of Physical Education is well-equipped with professional table tennis training equipment, which allows Rong Guotuan to continue to improve his skills without affecting his recovery. His daily training includes basic physical training, technical movement exercises, and tactical set-up learning.
In addition to training, Yung Kwok Tuan was also arranged to participate in some teaching activities, sharing his experience and skills with the students of the college, and this interaction had a positive impact on his emotional and mental state.
He gradually established his influence at the Guangzhou Institute of Physical Education, becoming a respected and loved coach and athlete.
During his few months at the school, Rong Guotuan's health improved significantly. His physical strength and endurance gradually increased, and his cough and breathlessness were effectively controlled. All this progress is inseparable from the medical support provided by Guangzhou Institute of Physical Education and his personal persistence and efforts.
Brilliant achievements on the world stage
In 1958, Rong Guotuan's skills and efforts were recognized at the national level, and he was officially selected to join the national table tennis team. This year has been a year full of challenges and opportunities for him.
The training environment and intensity of the national team far exceed his previous experience at the Guangzhou Institute of Physical Education, and the team's training base is located in a well-equipped sports center, where top coaches and athletes from home and abroad are gathered.
In the daily training of the national team, Rong Guotuan received systematic professional guidance and tactical arrangement together with other team members.
The coaches have fine-tuned and optimized each athlete's technical movements, focusing on improving their game strategy and mental adjustment ability. for
In preparation for the 25th World Table Tennis Championships, the whole team conducted a long-term closed training camp, and constantly honed the ability to work as a team and cope with various competition situations through simulated competitions.
At the beginning of 1959, Rong Guotuan arrived in Dortmund, West Germany, with the national team, to participate in the World Table Tennis Championships that year. This is his first time representing China on the international stage, and it is also the first time he has faced a world-class opponent.
The tournament takes place in a huge stadium where top table tennis players from all over the world and thousands of spectators gather. The atmosphere in the stadium was tense and enthusiastic, and the flags of various countries fluttered in the spectator seats.
During the competition, Rong Guotuan showed a very high competitive state and technical level. His style of play is swift and aggressive, often putting pressure on his opponents with fierce draws and quick counter-attacks.
In the knockout rounds, he won several games in a row with consistent performance and superb skills to successfully enter the finals.
In the final, Yung faced a tough opponent from Europe, who was known for his precise skills and extensive experience.
In the final on April 5, Rong Guotuan showed his superior strength in the first game and quickly took the lead.
Although his opponent tried to counterattack in the second game, disrupting his pace by changing the path and rhythm of the ball, Yung Guotuan quickly adjusted his tactics and successfully turned the situation around with his excellent adaptability and calm attitude to the game.
In the end, in a tense and fierce confrontation, he defeated his opponent with a total score of 3:1 and won the men's singles world championship.
This victory not only brought great honor to Rong Guotuan personally, but also an important milestone in the history of Chinese table tennis and even Chinese sports.
This is the first gold medal won by the Chinese nation in the field of world table tennis, marking China's rise in the international sports arena.
Tragedy and remembrance: the end of an era
After Rong Guotuan's athletic career reached its peak, his personal life suffered a series of tragedies.
The first was the death of his mother, which was a huge blow to him. His mother had always been an important pillar in his life, and her death deprived him of the warmth of family and the solace of his spirit.
The news came shortly after he enjoyed the World Title honor, and his joy was suddenly replaced by great grief.
Immediately afterward, his life was hit again, and two close teammates, Fu Qifang and Jiang Yongning, were unfairly accused of being spies.
These two teammates have been his partners and close friends in the national team, and together they have won glory for their country on the international stage.
Unfortunately, the unfounded accusations have put a heavy stigma on the shoulders of these two elite athletes.
Faced with such tremendous pressure and an inextricable stigma, Fu Qifang and Jiang Yongning chose an extreme way to prove their innocence, and they committed suicide one after another to make their lives clear.
This incident caused a huge shock in the entire sports world and society, and also brought extreme pain and impact to Rong Guotuan. The loss of his two friends left him feeling isolated and helpless, and at the same time full of doubts and incomprehension about the world.
These successive tragedies have taken a great toll on Rong Guotuan's mind and body.
In the end, under the cumulative pressure of this series of events, the 31-year-old Yung Guotuan also chose to leave this world, and his death shocked the sports world and all walks of life.
In 1978, the State Sports Commission rehabilitated Rong Guotuan and his companions.
The state officially restored their honor, and a solemn memorial service was held for them. This memorial service is not only a personal tribute to them, but also a public correction of the mistakes of that era.
After the memorial service, the ashes of Rong Guotuan and his two companions were buried in the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery. The Babaoshan Cemetery was dedicated to the heroes of the revolution, a gesture that symbolizes the country's recognition of their sacrifices and contributions.
There, the tombstones of Rong Guotuan and his friends stand in the quiet shade of trees, surrounded by neat lawns and lush trees, looking solemn and solemn.
Resources:
1. History of Chinese Table Tennis
2. "Tragedy of Chinese Sports Heroes"
3. Athlete Mental Health Research