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Mike Chan

With his own powers starting to wane, Chinese table tennis star Wang Chuqin hopes a new generation of players will emerge to take the country forward after the Los Angeles Olympics.
The world No 1 has not been his all-conquering self of late, and while his Shandong team won all six matches in the first phase of the Chinese Table Tennis Super League in Dalian, Wang, by his own admission, “didn’t win many”.
Defeats at the hands of Xu Haidong and Zhang Yudong, were followed by the need to come from behind to beat 19-year-old Li Tianyang and national team member Xiang Peng.
“I didn’t enjoy losing, and I didn’t enjoy winning as much either,” Wang said. “I wouldn’t really want to go through it all again if I had to. But if I were to be an athlete again, I would still want to be one – a member of the Chinese national table tennis team.
“Always approach your opponent with humility, accept a few poorly played shots, and try to think about the next one.”

With the dominance of China’s men declining, especially so since Olympic champion Fan Zhendong stepped away after winning gold in Paris, Wang has been carrying the team’s hopes, while also needing to prepare for doubles, something not required for the top men’s singles player in the build-up to the Games in Tokyo and the French capital.
“I never thought I was a genius,” Wang said. “My efforts were no less than anyone else’s, and I was well ravaged by time. There were some team member changes after Paris. It sped up my growth, or I would have been shouldering more.
“That shouldering part was never easy, every step was arduous, every step was like walking on thin ice. I hope to always stay true to my original aspirations, and continue to move forward.”
Wang, who opted to focus on men’s singles after the last Olympics, also admitted he would play in multiple events in the United States in two years.
“This is an unavoidable and inescapable responsibility that I need to shoulder,” he said. “So, I am using my time to train myself and try to rediscover my form in doubles.”
Unlike in the past, when Ma Long and Fan led the men’s team, the talent gap, especially in the men’s team, has not been overlooked by the senior officials.
“The men’s team face the biggest challenge,” Wang Liqin, president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, said. “Our young players still have room for improvement in their ability to compete in major tournaments and their match experience.
“The overall ability of young players in major competitions, compared to their individual strengths, still needs improvement in the future. Our research in the doubles – men’s and women’s – in terms of teamwork between athletes, and preparation of techniques and tactics, has to be strengthened.”
Wang, the captain of the men’s national team, also predicted another round of generational change after Los Angeles.
“Times have changed; there ain’t any more big brothers [leading the team] like before,” the 26-year-old said. “Chinese table tennis has always been about passing on skills and knowledge to younger generations; it’s a form of inheritance.
“The seniors pass on their experience to the younger ones and take them through intense competitions, which is a good training experience for them. I hope there is more fresh blood coming through.”


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Wang Chuqin has been carrying much of the responsibility in the China men’s team since the Paris Olympics. Photo: Reuters

China’s men Ma Long, Wang Chuqin and Fan Zhendong wave to fans after winning team gold at the Paris Olympics. Photo: Reuters

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World No 1 Wang Chuqin is shouldering more responsibility than before and worries about a growing talent gap


World No 1 Wang Chuqin is shouldering more responsibility than before and worries about a growing talent gap.


Xu Xiaodong

Wang Yudong

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Wang Chuqin

Wang hopes future China stars emerge after LA 2028 as table tennis powers wane

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}World No 1 Wang Chuqin is shouldering more responsibility than before and worries about a growing talent gap

World No 1 Wang Chuqin is shouldering more responsibility than before and worries about a growing talent gap