Blessings and misfortunes: setbacks and opportunities for national table tennis at the Singapore Grand Slam
In March 2024, at the Table Tennis Grand Slam held in Singapore, the Chinese table tennis team suffered a major setback. This strong team, which has always dominated the world table tennis world, suffered heavy losses one after another in this event, and veterans Ma Long and Fan Zhendong were upset one after another, which shocked and worried the coaching staff of the national team. But just when people thought it was a catastrophic setback, a ray of light began to appear, and this defeat became an opportunity for national table tennis to start again.
Singapore's Grand Slam national table tennis has been hit hard
In the men's singles competition, Ma Long, the number one player of the Chinese table tennis team, was eliminated by German dark horse Francesca with an aggregate score of 2-3 in the quarterfinals. As a three-time World Cup champion and two-time Olympic champion, Ma Long has always been the most solid main force in national table tennis, and his exit is undoubtedly a heavy blow. In the first round of the game, Fan Zhendong, another main player of national table tennis, also lost 1-3 to teammate Lin Shidong and was eliminated in advance.
The consecutive outings of Ma Long and Fan Zhendong undoubtedly made the coaching staff of the national team feel great pressure and shock. As the head coach of national table tennis, Wang Hao felt very sorry for Fan Zhendong's exit. But Lin Shidong's qualification is also a surprise, which adds hope for the cultivation of new main players.
A blessing in disguise to find the problem
Although the exit of Ma Long and Fan Zhendong greatly reduced the performance of national table tennis in this Grand Slam, from another point of view, this defeat also made them a blessing in disguise and discovered some problems in the team.
On the one hand, the form of the veterans seems to be slipping. Ma Long and Fan Zhendong, as the pillars of national table tennis, have maintained a very high level in the past few years, but as they get older, their form has also begun to fluctuate. The defeat in this Grand Slam has exposed the crisis they are currently facing.
On the other hand, young players are not yet fully mature. Although Lin Shidong has played well in this competition, in general, the young generation of players in national table tennis is not fully ready to take over. They need to work out at a higher intensity in order to truly grow into a new generation of workhorses.
Head coach Wang Hao's "Saiong lost the horse"
For Wang Hao, the head coach of the national table tennis tournament, the performance of this Grand Slam tournament can be regarded as "Saiong lost his horse, and he didn't know if it was a blessing". On the one hand, Fan Zhendong's exit made him feel very regretful. As one of the leading stars of national table tennis, Fan Zhendong's poor performance in this competition undoubtedly made Wang Hao feel pressure and disappointment.
But on the other hand, Lin Shidong's qualification can be regarded as a surprise. Although he missed the final in the end, his outstanding performance in the knockout round still made Wang Hao see his potential. As a young player, Lin Shidong's experience in this tournament will become a valuable asset for his future growth.
So for Wang Hao, although he lost a "war horse", he also found a "dark horse". This kind of situation of "Saiong loses his horse, but he knows that it is not a blessing" may be the opportunity for the future development of national table tennis.
Liu Guoliang is relieved to prepare for the Olympics
For Liu Guoliang, the head coach of Chinese table tennis, although the exit of Ma Long and Fan Zhendong made him worry about the performance of national table tennis in the upcoming Paris Olympics, it was also a blessing in disguise, allowing these veterans to adjust their state in time before the Olympics and fully prepare for winning the Olympic championship.
The Olympic Games have always been the highest stage of table tennis, and for national table tennis, achieving good results in the Olympic Games is the ultimate goal of all players and coaches. Ma Long and Fan Zhendong are the leaders of national table tennis, and their performance in the Olympic Games will directly determine the final results of the national team.
Although the loss in this Grand Slam made Liu Guoliang feel a certain degree of worry, from another point of view, it also allowed Ma Long and Fan Zhendong to identify their own problems before the Olympics and have the opportunity to adjust and improve in time. Only by solving these problems will they be able to perform at their best at the Olympics and contribute to the national team's victory.
So for Liu Guoliang, although there are some regrets, it is more reassuring. Because of this loss, the national table tennis found and solved the problem and was fully prepared for the upcoming Paris Olympics.
Although the Chinese table tennis team suffered a major setback at the 2024 Singapore Grand Slam, this defeat also gave them a blessing in disguise, discovering some problems in the team and pointing out the direction for the future development of national table tennis.
For head coach Wang Hao, although there are regrets, Lin Shidong's qualification can be regarded as a surprise, and he can cultivate new main players, so it is a situation of "Saiong loses his horse, and he knows whether he is a blessing". For head coach Liu Guoliang, although he is worried about the performance of the Olympic Games, he is also a blessing in disguise, allowing the veteran to adjust his state in time before the Olympic Games and fully prepare for winning the Olympic championship.