Before reading this article, please click "Follow", which is not only convenient for you to discuss and share, but also can bring you a different sense of participation, thank you for your support
When the London stadium was filled with angry boos from the audience, these boos seemed to echo each other, forming a suppressed and shocking emotion, and the once glorious godfather of the national feather, Li Yongbo, was now standing decadently on the sidelines, surrounded by an angry crowd.
Recalling those years, this legendary figure known as the "Godfather of the National Feather", his figure has shined on the stage of international competitions many times, and has won honors for the country again and again.
But now, because of an extremely ugly "handicap incident", he was ruined and can never return to the peak of glory.
Not long ago, at the 2012 London Olympic Games, under the careful guidance of Li Yongbo, the Chinese badminton team won five gold medals in one fell swoop, creating a historic brilliant record. It was undoubtedly the highlight of his long coaching career.
However, shortly after this brilliance, a jaw-dropping "handicap scandal" completely turned everyone's perception of him upside down.
It was during a crucial matchup in the Women's Doubles group stage that Li Yongbo went so far as to suggest that the Chinese pair Yu Yang/Wang Xiaoli were "deliberately letting go of the water" to avoid direct competition with their team-mates in the knockout stages.
As expected, the pair's performance was unusually negative at the beginning of the match, and when the score gap between the two sides widened to the point of no return, the referee finally blew the final whistle and ruled that the Chinese team had violated the rules.
In the face of doubts from the outside world, Li Yongbo did not admit his mistake, but retorted with confidence: "What qualifications do foreigners have to question Chinese badminton? What qualifications do they have to concede? Today's foreigners are really too narrow-minded, far less open-minded than us Chinese."
This arrogant and rude remark undoubtedly ignited the anger of the audience again, with some shouting "Shame!" and "Handicap is cheating!", and some even threatened to expel Li Yongbo from the country.
In this way, an absurd "handicap" decision, coupled with Li Yongbo's own wild words and intimidation, eventually led to the complete collapse of his reputation. This figure, who was once honored as the "National Feather Meritorious", has now become the "target of the public" who is spurned by everyone.
Falling from the pinnacle of glory to the abyss, Li Yongbo used his actions to destroy the prestige and prestige he had accumulated over the years. In the women's doubles group stage at the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Chinese pair Yu Yang/Wang Xiaoli competed fiercely with their South Korean opponents.
Before the game, head coach Li Yongbo had hinted that Yu Yang/Wang Xiaoli "deliberately let the water go" to avoid clashes with other Chinese pairs in the subsequent knockout stages.
There is no doubt that Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli, who have just started, no longer have the usual fierce and fierce competitive attitude. The duo made significant mistakes on their serves, and even when they were attacked by their opponents, they were unable to put up an effective resistance.
The audience's eyes were like torches, and in an instant, they noticed the abnormal situation of the gold medal pair, and they booed questioningly.
With the passage of time, the scores of Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli were gradually overtaken by their opponents, but their state was still loose and negative, and they did not show the determination to go all out.
It wasn't until the point of no recovery that the referee honked the horn to signal the end of the game and announced the end of the high-profile contest.
When the referee publicly ruled that the Chinese team was "negative in the game" and disqualified Yu Yang/Wang Xiaoli, the atmosphere at the scene was instantly boiling, with boos and roars one after another. Spectators were aware of the intrigue behind the tournament and questioned the reasons for the deliberate loss.
In the face of such enthusiastic doubts, head coach Li Yongbo behaved calmly, straightened his back, and retorted sternly: "What qualifications do foreigners have to question Chinese badminton? How are they qualified to manipulate the results of the game? Today's foreigners are too narrow-minded, far less open-minded than us Chinese."
This arrogant and self-respecting remark immediately aroused the strong indignation of the audience. Some people angrily shouted, "Shame!" and "Handicap is cheating!" and some even threatened to expel Li Yongbo from the national badminton team.
Li Yongbo tried to cover up the truth at the beginning, but later openly showed off what he had done, revealing his arrogant side.
The audience suddenly realized at this moment that the head coach, who was respected as the "National Feather Meritorious", had never regarded them as equal spectators in his heart, but as "chess pieces" at his mercy.
Li Yongbo's "handicap turmoil" has undoubtedly become the best footnote to his arrogant nature, and at the same time, it has also announced that his image in the eyes of the majority of the people has completely collapsed.
Looking back at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, the two top players of the Chinese badminton team, Zhang Ning and Zhou Mi, both entered the semifinals of the women's singles event. It had already made the people of the whole country rejoice, but unexpectedly suffered a heavy blow.
At that fateful moment, Li Yongbo, the commander-in-chief of the national badminton team, unexpectedly issued a shocking directive: he asked Zhou Mi, who was in his brilliant career at that time, to generously give up the precious seat of the final championship to his teammate Zhang Ning without reservation!
In the face of this extremely unreasonable request, Zhou Mi, as a professional player, was naturally full of endless unwillingness. She knows that for any athlete, the desire to compete for a championship is irrepressible.
However, out of a deep love for the honor of her country, she finally reluctantly accepted this cruel reality.
As expected, in the next game, Zhang Ning lived up to expectations, overcoming obstacles all the way and successfully winning back the precious gold medal for the national team. And Zhou Mi, because of this unexpected change, lost the opportunity to enter the Olympic arena forever, and years of hard work were in vain.
What's even more infuriating is that at the celebration dinner after Zhang Ning won the championship, Li Yongbo used the excuse of "national interests first" to forcibly demand Zhou Mi's immediate retirement in front of all the team members.
His reason is that Zhou Mi has entered middle age, her physical condition is gradually declining, and if she continues to serve as a coach, she will only become a burden on the national team.
In the face of such personal attacks and naked threats, Zhou Mi could only temporarily suppress the anger in her heart, and left the battlefield she had fought for with helplessness and regret.
She once thought that she had done her best to contribute to the motherland and sports, but in the end she got such treatment, which was really chilling.
Even after Zhou Mi switched to the Hong Kong team, Li Yongbo still subjected her unprecedented abuse and personal attacks, and even accused her of being a "traitor to the motherland". It's really ridiculous, it was he who personally drove Zhou Mi out of the national team, and now he is slandering and insulting this former badminton superstar in the name of "patriotism".
No wonder in an interview 17 years later, Zhou Mi couldn't help but confess to the camera that "this person lacks the most basic humanity". From the national hero of the past to the current Qianfu, Li Yongbo's glorious image has long been gone, leaving only an indelible ugly mark.
At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, it was supposed to be a moment for the Chinese badminton team to rejoice and show off its glory. In the women's singles event, Zhang Ning and Zhou Mi, who had fought side by side and achieved great results together, both reached the semifinals, which made the fans and the people of the whole country enthusiastic and glorious.
However, unexpectedly, at this high-profile and important juncture, there was a ruthless "dark arrow" that penetrated the key point of Zhou Mi's career.
On that day, head coach Li Yongbo suddenly called an emergency meeting of all the national team players, and in front of everyone, he announced a jaw-dropping "tactical deployment": Zhou Mi must take the initiative to back down and give up the promotion place in the women's singles semifinals to teammate Zhang Ning.
"What? Why did I give in? Zhang Ning and I are equal in strength!" In front of everyone, Zhou Mi could not hide the helplessness and dissatisfaction in her heart.
Faced with such a resolute and iron-blooded decision, Zhou Mi could only hold back the anger and grievances in her heart. She silently shed tears, but still followed Li Yongbo's instructions, took the initiative to give up in the next game, and gave up the precious final qualification to Zhang Ning.
As expected, in the final, Zhang Ning lived up to expectations and successfully won an exciting gold medal for the national team. However, who can understand how much pain and helplessness Zhou Mi endured in the depths of her heart when she saw her teammates holding the trophy and leaving the field? Over the years, her hard work and sweat have now come to naught.
What's even more outrageous is that at the celebration dinner after Zhang Ning won the championship, Li Yongbo once again threw a heavy punch with his arrogant, rude, arrogant and domineering attitude: he asked Zhou Mi to retire immediately, and the reason given was that she was "in deteriorating physical condition" and "too old".
This kind of insulting personal attack undoubtedly completely tore the last layer of window paper between Li Yongbo and Zhou Mi. In the face of such humiliation, Zhou Mi could only endure the pain in her heart, and walked out of the gate of the national team with helplessness and unwillingness.
Since then, she has been unable to believe in slogans such as "unity, fraternity, mutual assistance".
In this way, Li Yongbo, with his dictatorial and unstoppable style, not only deeply hurt Zhou Mi at the peak of his career, but also completely intensified the contradictions between him and other members of the national team.
Since then, his aura of "national feather meritorious service" in the hearts of the people of the whole country has gradually disappeared. Time flies, in a blink of an eye, 17 years of spring and autumn have quietly arrived, and finally not long ago, when Zhou Mi was interviewed, she angrily declared that "this person has no basic conscience!" This merciless words undoubtedly painted Li Yongbo's past with the most dazzling color.
Looking back on Li Yongbo's early years, he was born into an ordinary working family, and showed extraordinary talent in badminton since he was a child. Despite his humble background, his love for the sport is unwavering and his perseverance is admirable.
At the age of 19, Li Yongbo finally realized his dream and successfully joined the national badminton team. However, at the beginning of this professional athlete, due to his unique character, he was twice repatriated and forced to return to the provincial team where he was born.
For others, this may be the end of his career, but Li Yongbo is not discouraged. With perseverance, he eventually won numerous World Series titles during his career, which can be called a phoenix nirvana and a new life.
In 1993, at the age of 30, Li Yongbo resolutely decided to put down his racket and devote himself to the new career field of coaching. With his excellent coaching ability and unique coaching methods, Li Yongbo was quickly recognized by the national team.
Since then, he has devoted himself to leading the national team, pouring all his ideals and ambitions into this team.
It is because of his endless passion for his country and the sport that Li Yongbo has been able to achieve great results and create brilliance in his 24-year coaching career.
Looking back on Li Yongbo's long coaching career, he has indeed won numerous honors for the Chinese badminton team: 18 Olympic gold medals and 92 world championship titles, these brilliant results have undoubtedly engraved his name in the long history of the national badminton team.
However, behind these dazzling results, there is a hidden side of his unscrupulous and arrogant side.
For example, in the controversial "Athens Olympics Handicap Goal" incident that year, Li Yongbo disregarded the feelings and wishes of his teammates and forcibly deprived Zhou Mi of the qualification to participate in the finals, forcing her to leave the field gloomily.
This move can be called a great shame for a generation of ball kings! It also reflects the arbitrary management style of Li Yongbo, chairman of the national table tennis at that time.
The following year, at the London Olympics, Li Yongbo once again instructed Yu Yang/Wang Xiaoli to "deliberately release water", resulting in the Chinese team being immediately judged by an authoritative referee to violate the rules, causing strong dissatisfaction and condemnation from the audience.
In the face of doubts, he unashamedly retorted "how can foreigners be qualified to criticize China?" and this arrogant and rude remark undoubtedly exposed his self-righteous side.
It is no exaggeration to say that these two heart-wrenching scandals have completely deprived Li Yongbo of the glory of being a "meritorious hero of the national feather," causing his image in the hearts of the Chinese people to collapse in an instant and become the target of public criticism.
However, even so, those former national team players could not believe that this man, who was once respected as the "godfather", could have fallen into such a pathetic situation.
In-depth analysis shows that the reason why Li Yongbo fell into the abyss of scandal is largely due to his deep-rooted "self-centered" concept and excessive desire for control.
As a head coach who has worked hard from the bottom, Li Yongbo has obviously poured all his dreams and expectations into the stage of the national team. Therefore, in his opinion, "national honor" and "team spirit" have surpassed everything and become the supreme principle.
Based on this dogmatic belief, Li Yongbo often makes decisions that may affect the future of players without regard to the feelings of his subordinates.
Even Zhou Mi, who was forced to retire that year, said bitterly: "This person lacks a conscience to be a man." It can be seen that in the eyes of onlookers, Li Yongbo has long been reduced to a negative example of the image of meritorious service in the past.
Looking back on his life full of twists and turns, we have to sigh: a person's success is inseparable from hard work, but if the basic moral character is missing, no matter how brilliant the results will be ruthlessly offset and tarnished.
Just like the former "godfather of Guoyu", in the end he became a "street rat" that everyone shouted at, which is undoubtedly a tragedy that makes people sigh.