Dialogue with Wang Liqin: I am getting closer to my teammates in the competition | Table Tennis | Wang Liqin

Under the stands of Luwan Sports Stadium, Wang Liqin has a new office, which is the location of the Shanghai Table Tennis Association. At the end of last year, he gained another identity - the President of the Shanghai Table Tennis Association. Recently, the countdown to the 2023 July 1st table tennis competition has entered, and Wang Liqin has become even busier, as it is an important event hosted by the Municipal Table Tennis Association.

Starting from the age of 6, Wang Liqin started playing table tennis, became an Olympic champion, and then transitioned after retirement. His current position is as the director of the Shanghai Sports Training and Management Center, carrying the burden of Shanghai Sports striving for gold and silver. After taking on another burden of table tennis from the masses, Wang Liqin's stage has become wider and he has more capable things to do. With opportunities and challenges coexisting, how will he face them? Jiefang Daily's Shangguan News reporter had a face-to-face conversation with Wang Liqin.

Let teenagers win at the "starting line"

Jiefang Daily · Shangguan News: There was a market survey before, and table tennis is not among the top three popular sports among young people nowadays. Basketball, football, and badminton are even more popular. What do you think? How to bring young people over?

Wang Liqin: Table tennis has a deep mass foundation in Shanghai, especially as a national sport, it has a great influence in Shanghai. From the perspective of competitive sports, Shanghai has trained a large number of outstanding athletes for the country and won glory for the country on the international stage; From various mass sports events, the number of participants, including teenagers, is also leading in the country.

Indeed, there are now many sports to choose from, and Shanghai is also an international metropolis with well-developed professional and market-oriented sports, such as tennis and fencing, which have also become popular. If we look at the youth group participating in table tennis training, the number of people is actually increasing. Table tennis has a low threshold and fewer injuries. Regular exercise can also help prevent myopia, improve reaction and thinking abilities, so many parents are willing to let their children practice table tennis.

There are many mass table tennis competitions nowadays, but there is still a lack of competitions targeting the youth group. The Municipal Table Tennis Association is also planning to focus on building a youth competition system and building a platform for them. At the end of last year, the Municipal Table Tennis Association held a "Table Tennis Culture Exhibition" in collaboration with the China Table Tennis Museum during the organization of the China Table Tennis Association Youth Selection Competition, which had a very good effect. In addition to participating in the competition, the young players received an education in table tennis culture, learning from the older generation of Chinese table tennis players the spirit of perseverance and striving for national glory. So, in the future, we hope to have better cooperation with the education department and integrate patriotic education for young people through competitions.

Jiefang Daily · Shangkan News: When it comes to strengthening patriotism education through table tennis for young players, did you also receive such an infection and influence when practicing as a child?

Wang Liqin: Yes. When I was a child, I trained at the amateur sports school in Zhabei District. At that time, the conditions were very difficult, there was no dedicated table tennis hall, and training was conducted in the underground air raid shelter of the school. Due to the height of the floors, high balls could not be played. At that time, equipment was also scarce, and the rubber on the racket could only be replaced when it shone like a mirror. A youth training coach who takes children to the beginning is very important. They sometimes even surpass their parents when accompanying them, not only teaching children how to play ball, but also cultivating comprehensive qualities. Although my mentor coach Shen Yimin is only a grassroots coach, his dedication has had a great impact on me. He has high expectations of us and often says, "The most afraid word in the world is seriousness."

The harsh environment is also a kind of tempering. Coach Shen will reward us with new rubber based on our performance in the competition. At that time, I just wanted to win the game, only by winning can I have new rubber. Shanghai once saw a group of world champions such as Xu Yinsheng and Li Furong emerge. I have been listening to their stories and watching their competition videos. At that time, my life goal was to win the world championship and also to bring glory to my country.

Wang Liqin, Wang Hao, Liu Guoliang, Ma Lin

Jiefang Daily · Shangguan News: Since the last Tokyo Olympic cycle, Japan has started a "generational training program", and a group of outstanding young athletes have emerged. How much impact does youth training have on children? Can we form our own characteristics and advantages in young age education?

Wang Liqin: This reminds me of going to the South African World Table Tennis Championships this year, and after watching it, I gained a lot. In recent years, there has been another leap in table tennis skills. The Chinese team was able to win five gold medals precisely because of its advanced technical and tactical skills, as well as a balanced offensive and defensive system. I see that young athletes from abroad are also making rapid progress. This indicates that it is very important to grasp the development trend of table tennis, including the cultivation rules of young athletes, which need to keep up with the times.

There are many clubs in Shanghai that engage in youth table tennis training, but some coaches have not received systematic training and cannot keep up with the trend of technological development. Youth training is still different from adult training. It should be combined with physical conditions and cognitive level, in accordance with the laws of youth cultivation, and in terms of training concepts, methods and methods, it should be more standardized and scientific. This requires the Municipal Table Tennis Association to provide them with more guidance in professional fields and regularly carry out amateur coach training. In the future, we hope to invite outstanding coaches from sports teams and even national teams to share advanced table tennis training concepts and methods with grassroots coaches.

The Municipal Table Tennis Association is conducting a survey and sorting of the situation of table tennis social clubs and training institutions. In the next step, the association will improve industry standards and encourage and support social forces to participate in the cultivation of reserve talents.

In the future, the training path for outstanding athletes will not only be based on the traditional model of transitioning from junior sports schools to city teams, but also on discovering good talents from social clubs. For example, Xu Xin opened a sports hall that caters to the current trend and culture of young people, and also conducted youth training. He uses his industry reputation and influence to promote table tennis, and we definitely encourage and support him.

Wang Liqin and Xu Xin competed at the Xu Xin Table Tennis Experience Hall.

[Organize more events that citizens love]

Jiefang Daily · Shangguan News: The annual "Red Double Happiness" Cup, as well as league matches between clubs, Shanghai has a rich variety of mass table tennis events. Will this July 1st table tennis competition become another traditional event?

Wang Liqin: During the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Shanghai held its first hundred party member table tennis competition, which received a good response at the time. So this year, the scale of the competition has been expanded, and registration from various districts is very enthusiastic, with nearly 30 teams and nearly 300 athletes from the whole city participating. Celebrating the Party's day in a special way is very meaningful, and we also hope to make this competition an annual traditional brand event.

Jiefang Daily · Shangguan News: As an Olympic champion, you were often invited to participate in folk table tennis competitions before. Now that you have become the president of the Municipal Table Tennis Association, how does it feel to participate in these competitions again?

Wang Liqin: The popularization and promotion of table tennis in Shanghai has been very outstanding, which is the result of strong support from people from all walks of life who love table tennis. The table tennis project receives a high level of attention, so for me, it has a higher starting point, a wider stage, and greater responsibility.

The association plays an important role in promoting national fitness and spreading table tennis culture. The Municipal Table Tennis Association is a bridge and link connecting enthusiasts and professionals involved in table tennis. In the future, in addition to hosting a variety of sports events, we will also provide public services for table tennis, create new media promotion platforms, and timely update and release information on events, training, and industry to our players.

The Municipal Table Tennis Association will adhere to the development concept of putting the people at the center, in order to better meet the needs of citizens for table tennis, as the starting point and foothold of work, and attract more people to participate in table tennis.

Famous table tennis stars Zhang Xielin, lifetime honorary chairman of the International Table Tennis Federation Xu Yinsheng, and Wang Liqin attended the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of China US table tennis diplomacy in Shanghai.

Jiefang Daily · Shangkan News: Indeed, as an industry association, the Municipal Table Tennis Association has a different focus, but more importantly, it reflects professional services and guidance functions, and cannot take on everything.

Wang Liqin: Yes. Among the vice presidents of our new team, there are world table tennis champions such as Cao Yanhua and Zhang Deying, as well as social figures who are concerned about the development of table tennis projects. With both professional backgrounds and influence, we all work together to provide suggestions for the development of Shanghai's table tennis industry.

Our former leader Xu Yinsheng, as the lifelong honorary chairman of the International Table Tennis Federation, has been actively promoting table tennis events. He often communicates with me and proposes equipment reform, such as making table tennis bigger, making it easier to play, and increasing the interest of more people in participating. So, we also want to connect the relay baton of our predecessors well.

When it comes to not being able to handle everything, we still want to give more play to the enthusiasm of the district table tennis association or other organizers. This year, the Municipal Table Tennis Association has formulated competition support policies, setting requirements in terms of competition scale, characteristics, venues and other conditions, and providing financial support to eligible competition organizers. Our starting point is to have more distinctive brand events added to the event system of the Municipal Table Tennis Association. For example, customized competitions targeting people of different ages and professions; For example, further leveraging the functions of sports events, organizing public welfare events, and highlighting social responsibility.

[Identity switching does not forget the original intention of party members]

Liberation Daily · Shangguan News: Before July 1st, will it remind you of your process of joining the Communist Party?

Wang Liqin: Yes, I have a deep impression. I joined the national team at the age of 15. At that time, I looked up to my senior team members and saw that the main players who fought for gold and silver in international competitions were often party members who dared to take the lead in competitions. Under their inspiration, I also worked hard to approach the party organization and submitted an application to join the party.

In July 1999, the national team was preparing for the 45th Dutch World Table Tennis Championships. During the closed training period in Zhengding, Hebei, I joined the party at the front line when I was 21 years old. I remember the swearing in ceremony was held in the usual training hall, simple and grand. Five young athletes, including me, joined the CPC honorably. During the critical period of preparation, the party membership ceremony can inspire all athletes and coaches who are preparing for the battle. When facing world competitions and undertaking major tasks, it is necessary for party members to bravely shoulder heavy responsibilities and give their all.

Wang Liqin participated in the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of China US table tennis diplomacy in Shanghai.

Liberation Daily · Shangguan News: After retiring and entering a new job position, how did you successfully transform yourself?

Wang Liqin: The new job position is my second time starting a business, and the process of role transformation. I am learning while doing. From holding a racket to bring glory to the country on the field, to cultivating outstanding athletes to become the pride of Shanghai and the country, the latter is even more difficult. Because the former only requires managing oneself well, the management team needs to understand each person's ideas, motivate and mobilize each person in the team, and tie everyone together.

My career has not only benefited from achievements and honors, but also from the sportsmanship of transcending oneself, pursuing excellence, and persevering. With 24 years of party experience, I have always kept in mind my oath to join the party, never forgotten my original intention, and continuously strengthened my awareness of being a model party member. Combining with theme education and theoretical learning, I have further strengthened my ideals and beliefs, closely adhering to the requirements of "learning ideology, strengthening party spirit, emphasizing practice, and building new achievements", and combining it with my job.

Only through research can one have the right to speak. To solve practical problems in work, it is necessary to first conduct investigations and research, and then develop specific strategies to overcome difficulties and bottlenecks. The same goes for the work of the association, to understand the development of table tennis in Shanghai, and to listen more to the voices of table tennis enthusiasts and their good opinions and suggestions. The series of measures launched in this way are more targeted, rather than coming up with their own ideas.

Wang Liqin guides amateur table tennis players.

Jiefang Daily · Shangguan News: Now that you have two identities, it is equivalent to bridging the boundary between competitive sports and national fitness. Have you adapted to the job switch?

Wang Liqin: The transition between the two positions can still be well integrated. If sports are strong, China will be strong, and if national sports are prosperous, sports will thrive. Competitive sports cannot do without the foundation of the masses. The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that "we should extensively carry out national fitness activities, strengthen youth sports work, promote the comprehensive development of mass sports and competitive sports, and accelerate the construction of a sports powerhouse." We placed the development of national fitness and mass sports work in a more important position and put forward clearer requirements. Now my perspective has broadened, not from a certain perspective of sports, but to integrate into the construction of a sports powerhouse.

Although I have more daily affairs and am even busier, I am very busy and happy. After all, table tennis has been with me for over thirty years, and I have a deep affection for it. I am very pleased to still be able to do something for this project.

In the 2017 Tianjin National Games, the Shanghai men's table tennis team won the men's team championship again after a 52 year hiatus. Wang Liqin was then the director of the Shanghai Table Tennis and Badminton Center.

Liberation Daily · Shangkan News: Do you still play basketball now? Will you participate in this July 1st competition?

Wang Liqin: I have less time to play now, and I occasionally play with friends. Recently, I will go to some table tennis courts and get closer to my friends. I can hear their voices most directly, and their opinions and suggestions provide good ideas for future work.

I won't participate as an athlete in this July 1st competition. If I participate in any team, the other teams will consider it unfair.