The new star in the table tennis world was once expelled, how did Niu Jianfeng, who had twice killed Zhang Yining, do later?
Table tennis is a household name in China, and famous players such as Zhang Yining and Wang Nan are undoubtedly the most familiar players in China. Behind them, there was also a new star who was expected to be born - Niu Jianfeng. This girl from Hebei has shown outstanding ball skills since she was a child, and was once regarded as the main force of Chinese women's table tennis.
Niu Jianfeng's table tennis career is legendary. In 2003, at the age of 22, she defeated the then world Zhang Yining in the ITTF finals and won the women's singles and women's doubles championships in one fell swoop. The following year, she qualified for the Athens Olympics and won bronze in the women's doubles with Guo Yue. At that time, Niu Jianfeng was already among the top three in the world and was considered the leading player of the Chinese women's team.
Just when people had high hopes for her, a defeat in the Asian Championships completely changed Niu Jianfeng's fate. In 2005, she led the Chinese team to the Asian Championships, but lost two consecutive games in the semifinals of the women's team, resulting in the Chinese team's worst record in 30 years. After the game, Niu Jianfeng was expelled from the national team and has gradually drifted away from the national team.
Once fired, Niu Jianfeng, who was galloping thousands of horses, was cut off from his career in this way. This is undoubtedly the most brutal blow for an athlete of his playing age. As the saying goes, Niu Jianfeng did not give up, but chose another path in life.
After being expelled, Niu Jianfeng chose a new path in life
After being expelled, Niu Jianfeng did not choose to give up, but applied for a graduate degree at Beijing Sport University. During her time at school, she was diligent and studious, and finally obtained a master's degree. After graduation, Niu Jianfeng did not stop, but stayed at his alma mater to teach, and is now an associate professor in the School of Physical Education.
In addition to teaching and educating people, Niu Jianfeng also lived a happy family life. Her husband Liu Zhiqiang is also a veteran of table tennis, and has coached Liu Shiwen and other national players. The two got married in 2008 and now have a lovely daughter, and the family of three is happy.
Although his table tennis career is truncated, Niu Jianfeng has not lost his passion for the sport. In recent years, she has set up her own table tennis club in her hometown of Hebei, hoping to cultivate more table tennis talents for her hometown. Every weekend, Niu Jianfeng always finds time to go back to the club to guide the students, and pass on his years of experience to the younger generation without reservation.
"I was really devastated by being expelled, but in retrospect, it may have been an opportunity given to me by God. Niu Jianfeng said, "If I had stayed with the national team, I would have been immersed in training and competitions, and I would have missed a lot of other good things in life." ＂
Now Niu Jianfeng, work and life are not wrong, and he lives the life he yearns for. She often sighs that although her dreams have not been realized, God has given her another new stage of life, allowing her to shine in new fields.
Although the new star in the table tennis world regrets but regains his life, Niu Jianfeng writes a new one with hard work
For Niu Jianfeng, although her dream of being a table tennis player came to an end, she did not give up on her life. Instead, she chose a new path full of challenges and opportunities.
From student to teacher, from athlete to coach, Niu Jianfeng grew step by step on the new stage, and eventually became an associate professor at Beijing Sport University. She uses her own personal experience to teach students, not only to impart professional knowledge, but more importantly, to convey a positive attitude towards life.
"I often tell my students that life is like playing table tennis, sometimes you will miss, but the key is to learn from the experience and lessons from the defeat. Niu Jianfeng said, "As long as you are willing to continue to work hard, you will definitely be able to start again in the new arena." ＂
It is with this belief that Niu Jianfeng did not give up at the low point of his career, but chose to study in graduate school, and finally became a respected physical education teacher with his diligence and studiousness.
In addition to teaching and educating people, Niu Jianfeng also set his sights on his hometown of Hebei. She set up her own table tennis club there, hoping to cultivate more sports talents for her hometown. On weekends, she always finds time to go back to the club to guide the students, passing on her years of experience to the younger generation.
"I hope that through my own efforts, I can contribute to the sports industry in my hometown. Niu Jianfeng said, "Although my dream back then was not realized, I am now living the life I yearn for, which is also a kind of happiness." ＂
Yes, for Niu Jianfeng, although her former dream of table tennis ended, she did not give up. On the contrary, she chose a new stage of life and wrote a new one with her own efforts. Perhaps, this is her greatest success.