In the men's singles final of the 2024 Table Tennis World Cup, Ma Long faced an almost impossible situation, reversed the game from 0:3 behind, won four games in a row, and finally won the World Cup men's singles championship for the third time. However, a small gesture at the post-match award ceremony caused widespread controversy. At the solemn moment when the national flag was raised and the national anthem was played, Ma Long not only represented the individual, but also the honor of the Chinese table tennis world and the country. As a general rule, any form of commercial promotion is strictly prohibited on such occasions.
Surprisingly, Malone deliberately wore a watch when he walked onto the podium, and deliberately rolled up his sleeves to reveal the watch during the ceremony. This behavior immediately became the focus of heated discussions, and Malone was questioned for his commercial promotion at the solemn moment of the post-game awards. While post-match social media advertising is a free act, commercial promotion on a sacred occasion like a medal ceremony is clearly disrespectful to the occasion.
This behavior is not only reminiscent of the previous Asian Games, when Guo Allen and Zhou Qi also tried to use the medal ceremony to promote their brand, but were finally stopped by Yao Ming on the spot. At the same time, this inappropriate move by Ma Long may lead to the national team coach Liu Guoliang having to intervene and punish him internally, so as not to cause other young players in the national team to follow suit and affect the overall image and discipline.
Now, Malone may have to pay a price for his carelessness, and the incident could also reignite discussions about the boundaries of business conduct in sporting events. Behind the championship and glory, every action of the athletes is magnified and scrutinized, and their behavior should be more deliberate, especially in the eyes of a global audience. This incident may serve as a warning to athletes in major competitions in the future, reminding them that personal interests should take a back seat in the face of national honor.