Gold medallist Xu Xin of China shows off his gold medal in Tokyo, on Aug 6, 2021. [Photo/Agencies]
China's paddlers cement global supremacy after hard-fought campaign in Tokyo
Team China proved it is still the undisputed powerhouse of world table tennis by pocketing four of the five golds on offer at the Tokyo Olympics.
Losing out to host Japan in the mixed doubles final was the only blip in an otherwise impeccable campaign at the Games.
Chinese Table Tennis Association president Liu Guoliang, a former two-time Olympic champion, stressed that while China's world-beaters sometimes make their supremacy look easy, maintaining their high standards match after match is anything but straightforward.
"I'm very touched now. Especially after we missed the mixed doubles gold, the entire team has had enormous pressure on its shoulders. Only we know how hard it was," said Liu after China won the men's team gold.
"We have our own goals, and we have been determined to defend China's honor on the table. We have been fighting and preparing for five years. Everyone has made lots of effort. The pressure our players are under is unimaginable for others.
"Under such difficult circumstances, we still showed our strength. We managed to win the four golds: men's and women's singles, as well as the men's and women's team events. We defended our titles, and that proved our efforts have paid off."
China has now collected 32 out of the 37 gold medals on offer since the sport debuted at the Games in 1988. But is China's dominance healthy for the state of the global game?
"The idea that table tennis suffers in other countries if we win too many golds is simply not true. Some people harbor such opinions, but I don't think they are objective," said Liu.
"In soccer and basketball, for instance, European countries and the US are at the top level. But that doesn't mean the Chinese players of these sports will stop trying. Actually, that only motivates us to try even harder.
"In table tennis, Team China has so far enjoyed the best results, but will the Japanese team or the South Korean team stop trying to surpass us? To defeat China, they have to put in years of effort. This is the appeal of competitive sports."
China's Fan Zhendong is a picture of concentration in the Olympic men's team final against Germany on Aug 6. [Photo/Agencies]
Rivals rising
The recent progress made by Japan was in evidence when Mizutani Jun and Mima Ito outmaneuvered Chinese pair Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen in the mixed doubles final on July 26.
The result shocked fans back home and, as the first medal to be decided in the table tennis program in Tokyo, heaped pressure on China's paddlers to bounce back in the remaining events.
Three days later in the women's singles semifinal, Ito was blown away 4-0 by Sun Yingsha to restore Team China's confidence. World No 1 Chen Meng eventually won gold, with Sun claiming silver.
Japan again stood in the way of China's ambitions in the women's team final last Thursday, but Sun prevailed over Ito once more to help her team to a 3-0 victory.
"Ito is a really outstanding player. She's only a few days older than me. We have been competing against each other in all the major international tournaments, and it's always fun to play against her," said the 20-year-old Sun, who made her Olympic debut in Tokyo, after winning the women's team gold.
"Facing her again, I prepared for all eventualities, even though we had played just days before. I tried to anticipate the changes she might make, and I fought point by point."
The matches between Ito and the Chinese players have gripped fans and former players.
"One of Mima Ito's biggest advantages is that it's hard for her rivals to predict her next move. But after watching the women's team final, I feel that Sun has worked out her tactics," said retired Japanese paddler Ai Fukuhara.
Chen Meng eyes the ball as she serves to Germany's Petrissa Solja during China's women's team semifinal victory on Aug 4. REUTERS
"During my career, I always felt there was a gap between me and the Chinese team. They set the standards and I was always trying to keep up. Team China's overall strength has been too strong."
However, CTTA president Liu reckons that, as the sport continues to develop globally, China's dominance will come under increasing pressure from more foreign talents like Ito.
"Ito is a great player, and her emergence has given hope to other countries that they too can challenge us in table tennis," said Liu. "I believe that after the Olympics, the passion toward table tennis will be pushed to new heights in both China and Japan.
"The next generation of players like Sun Yingsha and Mima Ito represent the future of table tennis. They are still young and they will bring us a lot more thrills and excitement over the next eight to 10 years."
Top-seeded Chen was also making her Olympic debut in Tokyo, and credited Team China's strength in depth as a factor in her stunning campaign. Following Liu Shiwen's withdrawal due to injury, substitute Wang Manyu stepped into the breach to shine in the women's team event.
"We are all new players who are making our Olympic debuts. And it was the first time for us to fight together to win the Olympic team gold. This is a new breakthrough for us," said the 27-year-old Chen.
"I played doubles in the women's team competition, and I wasn't quite under as much pressure as my younger teammates. So I won the team gold thanks to them."
