After the national table tennis announced the list of participants in the Houston World Table Tennis Championships, it caused a huge controversy for a time, because among the participants in this time, the person that the fans thought should appear the most did not appear, but did not appear, and the reason given by the coaching team was that he took the initiative to apply not to participate in the World Table Tennis Championships, and he wanted to use this time to adjust himself.
This person is Ma Long, the 33-year-old Chinese men's table tennis captain!
However, for such an explanation, many fans can not accept, they believe that only because Ma Long is too good, worried that Ma Long will once again win the World Table Tennis Championships, in this case, the sustainable development of Chinese men's table tennis will have an adverse impact, and is not conducive to the growth of young players.
In fact, the fans' speculations do make some sense.
If Ma Long once again beats Fan Zhendong or other team members in the World Table Tennis Championships and wins the championship again, this will be a very big blow to the young players, and it may even be ruined!
You know, Ma Long himself has also encountered the situation of being suppressed by veterans and suppressed by Zhang Jike of the same age, and Ma Long was on the verge of collapse at that time, and even wanted to retire at one time!
From 2009 to 2013, the three World Table Tennis Championships, Ma Long lost to Wang Hao three times and did not qualify for the final, for a time, Wang Hao became a mountain that Ma Long could not cross, while Zhang Jike of the same age defeated Wang Hao in the World Table Tennis Championships, World Cup and Olympic Games, achieving a Grand Slam!
Subsequently, Zhang Jike won the 2013 World Table Tennis Championships and the 2014 World Cup, especially in the 2014 World Cup final, Zhang Jike's opponent was Ma Long, which was a very big blow to Ma Long, and Ma Long felt very confused, because no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't catch up with Zhang Jike!
As an athlete of the same age, Ma Long is inevitably compared with Zhang Jike, which is even more difficult for Ma Long to accept!
Fortunately, Ma Long persevered under the encouragement of Liu Guoliang, in the 2015 World Table Tennis Championships, Ma Long finally defeated Fang Bo in the final and won his first World Table Tennis Championship singles championship, after winning, Ma Long was very excited, and even jumped on the table to shake hands with Fang Bo at one point!
In the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Ma Long and Zhang Jike met in the final as promised, this game, Ma Long prepared for a long time, very well prepared, as a result, Ma Long swept Zhang Jike with a score of 4-0, won the Olympic men's singles championship, and finally achieved a Grand Slam!
However, in Ma Long's view, there is still a big gap between him and Zhang Jike, after all, Zhang Jike has won two world table tennis singles championships!
Ma Long, who achieved a Grand Slam, did not dare to stop, he was still so disciplined and hardworking, and finally in the 2017 World Table Tennis Championships, Ma Long defeated Fan Zhendong in the final and won his second World Table Tennis Championships singles championship.
After winning the championship, Ma Long said in an interview: I am very grateful to Zhang Jike, Zhang Jike has always been his goal and role model, he has been trying to catch up with Zhang Jike, before he has always had an attitude of looking up to Zhang Jike, now he finally no longer has to look up to Zhang Jike, and finally can stand shoulder to shoulder with Zhang Jike!
Maybe Ma Long himself would not have thought that his final achievements could far exceed Zhang Jike!
At the 2017 National Games, Ma Long successfully defended his title, and in the 2019 World Table Tennis Championships, Ma Long completed the feat of three consecutive World Table Tennis Championships.
At this year's Tokyo Olympics, Ma Long defeated Fan Zhendong in the final, becoming the first table tennis player in history to defend the Olympic men's singles champion!
Today, Malone has surpassed everyone and become the most successful athlete in the history of table tennis!
But now Ma Long is 33 years old after all, it is difficult to imagine that three years later in the Paris Olympic Games, the 36-year-old Ma Long will appear in the Olympic Games again, if it is really like that, it means that the Chinese men's table tennis really has no successor!
However, Today's Malone still has a very strong strength, and if Malone continues to compete in this year's Houston World Table Tennis Championships, he will still be the biggest favorite to win the singles championship.
If Ma Long defeats young athletes in the World Table Tennis Championships again and completes the four consecutive World Table Tennis Championships, I am afraid that this will be a heavy blow to Fan Zhendong and other young athletes!
Therefore, Ma Long's withdrawal from the World Table Tennis Championships is indeed more beneficial than harmful for Chinese men's table tennis, and it is more conducive to the growth of young athletes, of course, for Ma Long, it is indeed no longer necessary to use the World Table Tennis Championships to prove himself!
Because today's Malone no longer needs to look up to anyone, and Malone himself has become the object of all table tennis players!