Ping Pong Episode 27 Recap
> Ping Pong Recap
Fu Jingchun, a left-handed pen-hold grip fast attack player with short pimples rubber from Wuhan, Hubei, entered the national team at sixteen. He was the champion of the Hubei Men's Singles for five consecutive years and the National Junior Championship for three consecutive years. His only wish was to win a championship under Mr. Zheng. Early in his career, he had expressed his ambition to Mr. Zheng, stating that he was willing to endure any hardship to become a champion.
Mr. Zheng had challenged him to understand "why" he wanted to win, telling him to think about it. Now, having entered the Olympic Village for the Beijing 2008 Olympics, Fu Jingchun participated in filming a promotional video with Fang Yue. Mr. Zheng advised him to view it as an opportunity to experience the atmosphere, reminding him that even with a mere 1% chance, he must be 100% prepared.
Meanwhile, Xu Tan and Yu Kenan were in their dorm, watching the Olympic countdown on TV and preparing hotpot. As the countdown began, Liu Shi, covered in dust, suddenly returned, clutching a handkerchief—a keepsake from his granny—and tearfully embraced Xu Tan. The handkerchief held special meaning, as his granny had once wrapped money in it for him when he was a child trying to find his mother, and now it was all he had left of her.
The Beijing 2008 Men's Table Tennis Team competition was underway. The fifth match between China and Korea was tied at two games all, making it the deciding round. Fang Yue was facing Park Ji-min, a rematch from the Athens 2004 Olympics where Park Ji-min had snatched the men's singles gold medal from him. The commentators noted the immense pressure on Fang Yue, framing it as a battle of revenge.
Despite leading ten to six in the crucial third game, Fang Yue dared not relax, as Park Ji-min slowly closed the gap. After a tense rally following Fang Yue's serve, Park Ji-min made a critical error, securing Fang Yue's victory. The crowd erupted in cheers, celebrating China's triumph. During the medal ceremony for Men's Singles, Fang Yue received a silver medal, and the sight of the national flag rising during the ceremony inspired awe and aspiration in everyone present.
An hour before the match, Xu Tan had quietly approached Fang Yue, witnessing firsthand the heavy burden of pressure his senior carried. This moment intensified Xu Tan's own longing to one day enter the arena through the player's tunnel, surrounded by leading officials and reporters. After his victory, Fang Yue confessed to Xu Tan that he intended to retire.
Xu Tan was shocked, pointing out that Fang Yue was only one Olympic men's singles title away from a Grand Slam and urging him to compete for another four years. Fang Yue revealed that he had never truly recovered from his Athens 2004 defeat; every time he stood at the table, he was haunted by the memory of losing that gold medal.
He expressed envy for Xu Tan, who still had ample time and opportunities ahead to compete in world-class events and face formidable opponents like Park Ji-min. Fang Yue then encouraged Xu Tan, asking if he wanted to be a champion and achieve a Grand Slam. When Xu Tan affirmed, Fang Yue advised him to always remember that yearning for victory, as it is an athlete's most precious motivation.
Later, Liu Shi, Xu Tan, and Yu Kenan discussed their motivations for playing ping pong. Liu Shi revealed that he started playing because of Yu Kenan. When he was two, his mother left, and at seven or eight, he went to Chengdu alone to find her. On TV, he saw Yu Kenan win the Eight Cup, and the thought that winning a championship meant being on TV, visible to many people, sparked his journey into ping pong.
He simply believed that by standing in a place where everyone could see him, his mother would find him. Now, he plays to earn money and support his granny. However, after the recent Sichuan earthquake, Xu Tan found his perspective shifting. He questioned whether living was solely for playing ping pong, pondering if there was more to life than his sport. That night, Yu Kenan, deeply moved by witnessing China's victory in the competition, called Zhang Caiwei.
They expressed how much they missed each other. Yu Kenan then expressed his overwhelming desire to become a champion himself, describing a fire ignited within him as he watched the national flag rise. He realized he had previously spoken of winning without fully grasping the meaning of "World Champion," but now he understood. Zhang Caiwei reassured him that he would certainly achieve his goal.
The team welcomed a new player, Su Shun, who was among the top eight at last year's National Games and was a former teammate and long-time rival of Xu Tan from the Beijing team. Su Shun immediately challenged Xu Tan, questioning his presence in the national team for five years without appearing in major tournaments and vowing to show Xu Tan how he had trained over those five years.
Soon after, the roster for the Moscow World Table Tennis Championships was announced, and to Yu Kenan's dismay, neither his nor Xu Tan's name was on the list. Yu Kenan confronted Mr. Zheng, arguing that his ranking was higher than Fu Jingchun's. Mr. Zheng countered by asking if Yu Kenan had practiced sustaining a rally as instructed, and when Yu Kenan admitted he hadn't, Mr. Zheng dismissed his single win over Fu Jingchun as insufficient to qualify.
Mr. Zheng emphasized that coaching decisions consider more than one elimination game. He told Yu Kenan to improve his ability to sustain a rally before asking for another chance, criticizing his problematic attitude and arrogance. Mr. Zheng sternly warned Yu Kenan that with his current attitude, he would never participate in a world-class competition as long as Mr. Zheng remained his coach.
He also reprimanded Xu Tan for lacking any discernible core skill, stating that he wouldn't be able to establish himself in the First team. Mr. Zheng declared that only elite athletes were worth his time. During a coaches' meeting, Fu Chuanzhi noted that with Fang Yue already retired, and Nie Rui Feng and Kang Ning nearing retirement, the First team would soon lack strong forehand players. He instructed the coaches to identify and quickly develop suitable young talents.
Fu Chuanzhi also subtly inquired about Fu Jingchun’s recent condition and whether his leg injury would affect his performance in the upcoming competition, which Mr. Zheng denied, claiming Fu Jingchun had almost fully recovered. In a later training session, Mr. Zheng assigned Xu Tan as a sparring partner for the newcomer, Su Shun, along with other players who specialized in forehand quick attack with loop drive.
During a long rally between Su Shun and Xu Tan (over thirty rounds), another coach observed that Xu Tan’s attack was impressive. However, Mr. Zheng pointed out that while Xu Tan's attack was good, his stamina was not up to par, and his hand was shaking towards the end of the rally. Yu Kenan, angered by Xu Tan being relegated to a training partner despite not losing, argued with Mr. Zheng.
Mr. Zheng again berated Yu Kenan for his arrogance, reminding him that many people dream of being world champions, and with his current skill, he was "ten thousand miles away" from achieving it. Feeling abandoned by Mr. Zheng, Yu Kenan returned to the dorm. Unable to contain his frustration, he confronted Xu Tan, who was diligently writing notes. Yu Kenan asserted that their current situation couldn't be solved by just writing, and firmly proposed that they should ask Fu Chuanzhi to change their coach.
