It is the end of the 2017 Asian Championships but it is only the start of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic cycle. What does 2017 Asian Championships imply? Here are a few key points said by Liu Guoliang, the head coach of the Chinese National Team and Qin Zhijian, the new chief-coach of the Chinese men's national team, at the end of the championship. I cannot find the clip of the interview from CCTV 5, so this is a rough translation of what they mentioned.
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| Miu Hirano made history while the Chinese missed the top of the podium in women's singles Photo: 乒乓世界 |
Zhou Dao, the reporter (R): This is the end of the championships. We have new thoughts on the new Olympic cycle and upcoming young players. How would you comment on the Chinese players and opponents?
Liu Guoliang (Liu): I think this is the beginning of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic cycle. We have gained a lot from this competition and encountered some losses. Miu Hirano from Japan won the tittle by beating three Chinese players yesterday. I think her victory is an alarm to the Chinese team but we need to have confidence in ourselves. We learn from their playing styles and speed and the Chinese team will be more united and competitive. The women's team will also have clear and specific goals in the coming close-door training camp.
For the men's side, there are also ups and downs. On the upside, Fan Zhendong played well under immense pressure and Zhang Jike rebuild his confidence in this competition. I believe he will be at a better form in the Worlds after a month of close-door training.
Ma Long and Xu Xin were knocked out in the men singles. They should not have lost in the matches. Ma Long has not lost for around 5 years. I think losing 1 match may be good for him because the more he wins, the greater the pressure is. Ma Long is a very responsible player. It may be a relief for him after losing the match. The Asian Championship is a warm-up for the Worlds.
Xu Xin ought not to lose the match. After the defeat of Ma Long, the pressure was on Xu Xin. But when Xu Xin was under pressure, he lost to Japanese player again (last time was the men's team final in Rio Olympics where he lost to Jun Mizutani). This might affect his confidence and mentality but we have 1 month before the Worlds. It is imperative that XU Xin stands up again and proves himself in the Worlds.
R: The Asian Championships has ended while the World Championship is around the corner. The preparation work for the Worlds in the close-door training will be important.
Liu: Yes. The women's team will be under huge pressure in the close-door training. As they need to prove themselves in the Worlds, especially in matches against Miu Hirano. I think the Chinese team and the Japanese team have their own strength. I do not agree that the Chinese women are less capable than the Japanese. The Japanese are advanced in their playing style. The 3-0 defeat of 2 young players Zhu Yuling and Chen Meng, cannot be considered as neing weak-minded because the matches were not intense at all. Our playing style is not as advanced as the Japanese team. In this quad, we will work on female players playing men's technique. This is not a slogan but an action plan. We have the best players and the best teams. China as a big table tennis power, the Japanese warned us with the defeat but it is also a motivation for us. Table tennis is more interesting and exciting with competitions. This also gives hopes to other countries and pushes the Chinese to make improvements and innovations.//
R: What is your feeling, leading the team as the chief-coach?
Qin Zhijian (Qin): I have learnt a lot from the championships. The upside of the championship is Zhang Jike's comeback. With Zhang Jike's efforts and thorough communication with him, we have a greater chance to see Zhang Jike reaching his peak form again.
I am glad to see that. Fan Zhendong has been doing great too. He clinched the gold when all Chinese players from the top half of the draw were out. It is a good start for the new Olympic cycle and significant for his growth.
Ma Long and Xu Xin were defeated in the competition. I believe it is because of the new coaching team is experiencing a run-in period. The players have not yet assigned to the national team coaches. I think this is my responsibility. I feel like I am not getting into the details while preparing for the championship as a chief-coach as compare to the time when I was a national coach. We have not done enough for the preparation. I need to reflect on this and bond with the new coaching team as soon as possible. Asian Championship is the first time for me to lead the team as the chief-coach. I will learn from it. And I think it is a good start for me no matter in the preparation work or giving court-side advise in the team events.//
It is great to see there are teams and players challenging the Chinese. We look forward to seeing more amazing matches among the best players in the Worlds and push the development of table tennis. The Chinese team will be having their 40-day close-door training camps after the Asian Championships. There might be news about the training camp in early May.
I hope you enjoy reading this blog. "From Rio to Tokyo" and "Throwback Thursday" will be updated regularly. Follow the blog for more articles and share your thoughts on the Asian Championships in the comment below.
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