by sportswriter Cao Jianjie
CHENGDU, China, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Wang Liqin has stepped into one of the most challenging roles in sports as the new head of Chinese table tennis - just three days after Brazil’s Hugo Calderano stunned the world by winning the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Cup in Macao - a rare feat in a sport long dominated by China. His appointment also comes less than a month before the World Championships begin in Qatar.
Wang replaces 49-year-old Liu Guoliang, who resigned on April 23 after a legendary career as a player, coach and administrator. Wang, 46, faces the task of maintaining China’s dominance in a sport where international challengers are gaining ground.
"It is a tremendous responsibility to take over as president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA)," said Wang, a two-time Olympic gold medalist whose second gold came under Liu’s coaching. "I feel both excited and anxious."
Since retiring from competition in 2014, Wang has risen steadily through the ranks as a sports official in Shanghai. He credits much of his success to Liu.
"It was coach Liu who guided me to fulfill my dreams as an athlete," Wang said. "Since becoming a sports official, I’ve always sought his advice. He holds the key to Chinese dominance in this game."
Acknowledging that Liu is irreplaceable, Wang said his top priority is preparation.
"The immediate task is the World Championships in Doha, and the long-term goal is the Los Angeles Olympics," he said.
Calderano, who became the first Brazilian and Pan-American player to win the World Cup last month, now leads the global challenge to China. China, meanwhile, is sending a young team to Doha - one without reigning Olympic champions Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and Chen Meng.
Wang has been overseeing a 15-day closed-door training camp for the team at the Chengdu Table Tennis School - the same training ground where China began its gold-medal sweep at the Paris Olympics.
Lin Shidong and Wang Chuqin, China’s top two men’s players, both fell to Calderano in the World Cup and are now looking for redemption. On the women’s side, Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu continue to lead a squad considered stronger than the rest of the field.
"The Doha worlds will be Wang Liqin’s first test," said CCTV commentator Li Wujun. "Any missteps or near misses will be blamed on poor timing of the leadership transition."
Liu cited a desire for a smooth transition and more time with family as reasons for stepping down. "I resigned at the right time to give the new CTTA leadership a full cycle to prepare for the LA Games," he said.
However, Chinese social media has questioned whether Liu’s international responsibilities - as vice president of the ITTF and chair of the World Table Tennis board - conflicted with his role as CTTA president. Others pointed to increasing "toxic fandom" under his tenure.
One of the most controversial moments came during the all-Chinese women’s final at the Paris Olympics, when Chen Meng was booed and attacked online while Sun Yingsha was vocally supported both in the arena and on social media.
Chinese table tennis received a boost on April 9, when the International Olympic Committee added a mixed team event to the 2028 Olympics. The IOC also replaced the men’s and women’s team events with men’s and women’s doubles, bringing the total number of events at LA28 to six.
"It’s great news for the table tennis world," said Wang. "But the reshuffling of the LA table tennis program means we’ll need new strategies for six events."
On the day of Wang’s election, Liu patted him on the arm and said half-jokingly, "We swept the board in Paris. Now it’s your turn."
原文地址：http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0505/c90000-20310492.html