"Ping-Pong Sanlang" Lian Hao: Plant a new dream in a blessed land

Xinhua News Agency, Xi'an, 26 Oct (Xinhua) -- Title: Lian Hao: Planting New Dreams in Happy Land

Xinhua News Agency reporters Zheng Xin and Li Hao

"That wins?" Lian Hao wiped his face with a towel and whispered to his partner Kong Weijie.

At noon on the 26th, in the national Paralympic Table Tennis Competition being held at the Shaanxi Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium, three-time Paralympic champion Lian Hao and partner Kong Weijie of Gansu team defeated the Shandong team Zhao Yiqing/Lu Xiaolei combination, although the competition has not yet ended, but under the TT10 group men's doubles round robin format has been ensured the championship medal. This is also another gold medal won at the National Paralympic Games after he won the team competition at this level.

The championship came suddenly, but the race was not smooth. In this game, the two started from the disadvantage of losing one set at 4:11 and pulled back three sets in quick succession.

"You made too many mistakes in the first inning." Their coach, Guo Xijing, began to chant after the game without waiting for his beloved disciple Lian Hao to step out of the fence, and then he hugged Kong Weijie's head and praised him repeatedly.

"Four or five goals were not played well, just too anxious, too eager to win." Lian Hao quickly turned around and explained to his mentor.

Lian Hao, who has a baby's face and a solid figure, has been in this style since he was less than 18 years old when he participated in the 2012 London Paralympic Games, with a compelling momentum, fierce attack, and often desperate to save the ball, falling into a reputation of "playing at the cost of life".

"It's a little nervous, but it's very kind to come to Xi'an to play." Lian Hao said after the game that he came to defend his title for singles, doubles and teams, and has now achieved two-thirds of it, and he feels like home in this "blessed land".

Although he was from Gansu, Lian Hao came to Xi'an when he was eight or nine years old and worshiped under Guo Xijing, a famous table tennis teacher in the ancient city. In recent years, with his good results, he has basically trained with healthy athletes in the Shaanxi Provincial Table Tennis Team, and often participates in local folk table tennis competitions.

"I have participated in several 'if you want to be the champion' table tennis challenge in Xi'an, served as the champion twice, and participated in the finals." Lian Hao said that these competitions are the same competition between disabled and able-bodied players, and the duels are fierce, and the opponents do not deliberately have reservations because he is disabled. Such a fair play makes him feel very comfortable.

"I love these two babies so much." Coach Guo Xijing said and spoke, revealing the Shaanxi Guanzhong accent.

"I've taken Lian Hao for so many years, and I really watched him grow up." Guo Xijing, who is over seventy years old and is known as the "grandmother of table tennis" in Xi'an, said that Lian Hao's group of athletes was discovered and brought out by her when she was a child.

"These children who have been disabled since childhood are not easy, and they are willing to suffer and have a momentum in their hearts, and they want to prove that they are not worse than others." She said.

"Xiao Kong is a few years older and more calm than Lian Hao, and last year the exchange came to the Gansu team. We thought about letting him take Lian Hao with him again, and the two of them helped each other to make progress together and achieve good results. Guo Xijing added.

Lian Hao also admitted that although this competition was the first time the two were paired, he soon discovered from Kong Weijie his calm personality and ability to read the game.

In the last game of the doubles round robin that afternoon, Lian Hao did not "slip his mind" again, and joined hands with his partner to cleanly defeat a pair of Hainan combinations in three straight sets in more than 10 minutes to win the gold medal with an unbeaten record.

"Paralympic Games, Paralympic Games, Asian Paralympic Games, all the gold medals are important." Lian Hao said that although he has participated in the Paralympic Games and the Special Olympics continuously during this period, he does not want to rest for too long and hopes to start preparing for next year's Asian Para games in Hangzhou as soon as possible.

"It's been less than a year to count the time. My partner in the doubles has not yet been finalized, and there are still trials behind it, and it feels like there are a lot of matches. He said, "Of course, I also hope that through the next training, I will improve my composure and calmness a little more." (End)