Recently, with the conclusion of the Macau Table Tennis World Cup, what should have been a demonstration of athletes' skills has turned into a war of words between the media. In particular, the inappropriate accusations made by some Japanese media against Chinese player Chen Meng have attracted widespread attention. The starting point of the problem was at the medal ceremony, where there was a small mess due to the limited space on the podium and the number of people higher than ever. In this award ceremony, Zhang Benmeihe accidentally slipped off the stage, which caused misunderstanding and criticism in some Japanese media, and they rashly accused Chen Meng of deliberately excluding Zhang Ben.
However, the truth is far from the truth. It is clearly visible through the official award video released by the International Table Tennis Federation that Chen Meng and other Chinese team members have compressed their standing space as much as possible. What's more, after Zhang Benmeihe failed to stand firm twice, Chen Meng took the initiative to move to the side to help Zhang Benmeihe successfully come to the stage, which was thanked by Zhang Benmeihe, and she took the initiative to shake hands with Chen Meng after the ceremony.
In addition, Zhang no longer refers to the Chinese fighter as "sister" in her post-match interviews, but instead refers to "Chinese opponents", perhaps reflecting her reorientation towards the competition in the Circle. Still, Chen Meng's thoughtful gesture and Zhang Ben's eventual reaction are a testament to the true spirit of the sports field: respect and friendship.
For those Japanese media who are still misreading the incident, the ITTF video is an unquestionable rebuttal. It is hoped that the media can report objectively and not be blinded by prejudice. At the same time, we expect the Chinese team to continue to perform well in the future Saudi Arabia Grand Slams, respond to all doubts with strength, and continue to write brilliant stories in the world table tennis arena.