Xinhua News Agency, Budapest, April 19 (reporter Su Bin Yuan Liang) the Chinese team and some athletes of the US team who participated in the single event of the World Table Tennis Championships in 2019 had joint exercises in the home stadium of the competition, this is not only a continuation of the “ping-pong diplomacy” between the two countries nearly 50 years ago, but also a cheer for Houston, USA, which is bidding for the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships and Chengdu, China, which is hosting the 2022 World Table Tennis Championships.
On the four ball table of the main hall of the Hungarian Convention and Exhibition Center, the four athletes of the National Basketball men’s team, Ma Long, Wang Chuqin, and Ding Ning and Liu Shiwen of the women’s team were filter opposite to those of the US team. During more than half an hour of joint practice, athletes stopped from time to time to exchange their experiences.
During the current World Table Tennis Championships, the two World Table Tennis Championships in 2021 and 2022 will be announced. The Chinese Table Tennis Association, the United States Olympic Committee and the United States table tennis association jointly issued an invitation, hoping to help the bidding work of Houston and Chengdu through the training of table tennis players of the two countries.
Liu Guoliang, chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, said that 2021 was the 50th anniversary of the “Table tennis diplomacy” between China and the United States, which “small ball promotes big ball”, while 2022 was the 50th anniversary of the return visit of the Chinese table tennis team to the United States. “Table tennis passed down a good story, which was passed down by the older generation. It is a very good idea to link table tennis with Sino-US friendship.”
Starting from the joint training of athletes, the Table Tennis Association of the two countries may carry out more cooperation in the future. Liu Guoliang believes that the United States has a lot to learn from in the development process of professional sports, which is very advanced in marketization and professional development. It is a good starting point and opportunity to develop the national system and professional sports and the market of China and the United States, which will play a great role in promoting and developing the world table tennis.
Together with Malone, the winner of “Grand Slam”, he trained 18-year-old Kanak Jia A. Before the training, Malone asked Jia a carefully whether he had prepared for the activities, hoping to practice more practical things with this little general in limited time. After the training, Jia A also consulted Liu Guoliang on the technical issues he cared about.
“It is a great honor to train with Malone. He is the best athlete in the world. This is a great experience. He is my idol, and I was a little nervous at first.” Jia A hopes to go as far as possible in the World Table Tennis Championships. He said that the goal is to constantly improve himself.
“I am very glad to have the opportunity to let our players train together with the best Chinese athletes in the world, which is a special opportunity for us, we have a lot to learn from these excellent Chinese athletes.” De josorland, director of international strategy and development of the United States Olympic Committee, said that “ping-pong diplomacy” played an important role in Sino-US relations and the history of world development.
The former chairman of the American table tennis association Xie josorland believes that nearly 50 years have passed since China and the United States started the “ping pong diplomacy”, and now the athletes of the two countries train together, this explains the spirit of “ping-pong diplomacy” well.