China Table Tennis Facing 'unprecedented Threat' At Olympics
Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published May 21, 2021 | 10:10 AM
Shanghai, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st May, 2021 ) :China have won 28 of 32 gold medals awarded at the Olympics, but their supremacy could face its biggest test yet in Tokyo this summer.
Few countries have dominated a sport quite like China has in table tennis -- winning every gold for the last three Games -- but one state media outlet has broken ranks to warn of a "crisis".
Home advantage for fierce rivals Japan, inconsistent form among China's top players and uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic suggest the world's most populous country might not have it all their own way when the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics start in just over two months.
Alarm bells rang earlier this month when what was billed as an Olympic simulation among China's players threw up some shock results.
Zhou Qihao, ranked 122nd in the world, stunned reigning Olympic singles champion Ma Long and world number one Fan Zhendong to win the men's title.
There was also an upset in the mixed doubles, which will make its Olympic debut in Tokyo.
State-run China News Service was unusually fierce in its appraisal, calling it "a wake-up call" and a "not-so-small crisis".
"The form of the main players is so up and down, can it be readjusted before the Olympics?" asked the news agency, warning about the threat from the Japanese team.
Mima Ito, the women's world number two from Japan, has been identified by Chinese media as the prime threat to another clean sweep in Tokyo.
There is also Japan's 17-year-old prodigy Tomokazu Harimoto -- whose parents are Chinese -- in the men's singles.
Peng You, editor-in-chief of the online magazine Ping Pong, dismissed talk of a crisis.
Other pundits framed the surprising recent results as healthy competition, and proof of China's remarkable depth of talent.
"If problems are exposed at Tokyo instead of at this simulation, that would be the worst thing," said Chinese Table Tennis Association president Liu Guoliang.
- Not 'invincible' - Peng said that the biggest problem for the Chinese players was the expectations of fans. For some, anything but all five gold medals in Tokyo will be failure.
"Most fans or so-called fans only pay attention to the result and don't know much about the details or the inside story," he said.
"Our past excellent results conceal many existing problems. Everyone thinks that the Chinese team is invincible... this is not the case." With a strong Japanese team enjoying home advantage, Peng believes that "the threat is unprecedented" since table tennis became a full Olympic sport in 1988.
Aside from China, the only other countries to win Olympic table tennis titles are South Korea (three times) and Sweden (once).
China this week named their six-member team for Tokyo and the announcement made waves after world champion Liu Shiwen was controversially left out of the women's singles line-up.
Instead the 30-year-old, who has suffered with injuries, will play team events and mixed doubles.
A hashtag related to Liu racked up at least 370 million views on the Twitter-like Weibo, underlining the intense interest in the team.
Peng says China will probably again win all five golds in Tokyo, but he will not be disappointed if they don't.
"I personally believe that for table tennis on a global scale, this is a good thing (not winning everything)," Peng said.
"That would be more conducive to the promotion and development of the game.
"Because if it's not only China, the sport will have more charm."The Tokyo Games, which were postponed from last summer because of the pandemic, are scheduled to begin on July 23.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
US ambassador meets Senate Chairman, discusses bilateral ties
UHS to issue MBBS degrees within three months after final result
Aiman Khan granted UAE Golden Visa
PSX achieves significant milestone, surpasses 72,000 mark
Pak Vs NZ T20I: Orphaned children extended special invitation to watch match
Finance Minister lauds UNDP’s unwavering support during floods
President Raisi leaves for Iran from Karachi
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 24 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 24 April 2024
Punjab CM inaugurates Pakistan’s first Virtual Women Police Station
Dutch model Donny Roelvink embraces Islam
Experts raise concerns over introduction of 10-stick packs
More Stories From Miscellaneous
-
PDMA predicts gusty wind, rain with thunder, hails
20 hours ago -
Iranian president Raisi given guard of honour at PM House
2 days ago -
Intellectuals, writers accolades Naseer Mirza on his literary contribution
3 days ago -
Bahawalpur Adabi Sangat hosts memorable mushaira
3 days ago -
Cattle farming vital to alleviate poverty in rural areas
3 days ago -
Pakistan: A land of tourism, archeological wonders
3 days ago
-
Transforming education sector: from job hunters to job creators
5 days ago -
Amjad Bobby remembered on 19th death anniversary for timeless contributions to music
9 days ago -
Legendary actor Nadeem’s 26 films released on Eid-ul-Fitr days in 50 years
10 days ago -
Besant Hall Cultural Centre to celebrate evening with Sanam Marvi on 26 April
10 days ago -
Radio Bahawalpur presents program “Eidi Shidi”
13 days ago -
Radio Bahawalpur to broadcast Eid programs
15 days ago