Why is table tennis the national sport?

This is a good question!

Table tennis obviously originated in the UK, but China classifies it as a national sport. Is this appropriate and reasonable?

Just because the Chinese play table tennis well and always win world championships; and there are many amateurs, can they call table tennis their national sport?

China has its national quintessence: traditional Chinese painting, traditional Chinese medicine, Peking opera, and martial arts. That is indeed the essence of China.

It is said that football was invented by the Chinese. Football should be the national sport, but unfortunately the Chinese cannot play football as well as the British (foreigners), so we have to reluctantly part with it!

But the Chinese are good at table tennis, and it was with that material that the British couldn't resist.

Therefore, table tennis is simply called China’s national sport.

It is really unknown who and when exactly table tennis became a national sport.

But once it was spread to ten, it was officially recognized and the people were the same. As a result, things invented by others were turned into the quintessence of one's own country.

Fortunately, the British do not care much about the invention of table tennis and do not want to call table tennis the British national sport. Otherwise, it would be really hard to start a lawsuit.

There are three specific reasons.

In 1959, after Rong Guotuan won the men's singles championship at the 25th World Table Tennis Championships, Chinese athletes began to enter the international table tennis scene. Gradually, a pen-hold close-to-the-table fast attack style with a technical style of "fast, accurate, ruthless, and changeable" was formed. In the 26th World Championships in 1961, the Chinese team not only passed the European level, but also defeated the Japanese players who used the long draw and secret weapon of "Loop Ball" to win the men's team title for the first time. World Champion. And won the 27th and 28th consecutive men's team championships. Table tennis has developed to this day and has become one of the major sports in the world. It is very popular in China and has a high level, so it is called the "national sport".

Second, the high level of national participation has greatly promoted the development of the movement.

The conditions for the development of table tennis are not harsh and can be participated in. Men, women, old and young can fight, they can fight all over the world, they can fight indoors and outdoors, they can fight whether they have money or not. If the conditions are good, you can play on a high-end table. You can also play on a cement table in poor condition. If you don’t have a table, you can also play on a few tables put together. If the weather is good, you can play in the open air. If there is strong wind and snow, you can play in a small room. Moreover, table tennis is a whole-body exercise that strengthens the body, mind and heart. Compared with sports such as football and basketball, there is no direct physical confrontation and you can control the amount of exercise, which is very conducive to popularization... In short, this sport is particularly suitable for China’s national conditions, is generally loved by Chinese people, and generally has a relatively high level, so it can be called a national sport.

3. Table tennis has contributed to China’s long-term peace and stability.

There are now many reports in newspapers about commemorating "ping pong diplomacy". It is said that during the 31st World Table Tennis Championships in 1971, Chinese player Zhuang Zedong met American player Cohen. Chairman Mao Zedong seized this opportunity and took advantage of the situation to invite the American table tennis team to visit China, breaking the blockade of international hostile forces on China in one fell swoop. It has created a historical legend of "ping pong diplomacy". From 1949 to 1971, only 34 countries established diplomatic relations with my country. After "ping pong diplomacy", more than 100 countries established diplomatic relations with my country from 1971 to 1979. Especially in 1971, the United Nations General Assembly passed the restoration of my country's legal seat in the United Nations with 76 votes in favor. Therefore, some people praise it as China’s “little silver ball that turns the earth.”

Firstly, table tennis once pioneered table tennis diplomacy. In the 1950s and 1960s, it provided a lot of help to our country's diplomatic career, which suddenly raised the status of table tennis. Many people in China like and love table tennis, and table tennis has become a popular sport.

Secondly, although table tennis is not a local sport that originated in my country, it has taken root here and has developed very well. National table tennis players continue to play in various types of table tennis, large and small. Achieve good results in the competition and bring glory to the country.

Thirdly, compared to other sports such as football and basketball, the results of table tennis are more worthy of our pride and pride. The physique of Asians is generally suitable for small ball sports, such as table tennis. and badminton.

However, table tennis is not a legal national sport, but a national sport in the minds of the people. It is also hoped that through the efforts of generations of table tennis players, national table tennis can reach a higher level. floors.

It turns out that table tennis is a national sport, and small-ball big-country diplomacy establishes Sino-US relations; players have the courage to fight and win the championship, raising the five-star red flag at the Olympic Games, and the Chinese people are inspired and proud of it; coaches are united We work together to win glory for the country, there is no strike, and the Chinese people believe in it; men, women, old and young all over the country love table tennis, love its purity, and love its noble quality.

However, since the strike, I believe that table tennis is no longer a national sport, but a national humiliation! The table tennis table is a platform for a few people to fight for power and intrigue. Table tennis is a tool for a few people to get promoted and make money to maximize their profits. The competition for gold and silver in table tennis games is not to bring glory to the country, but to seek personal benefits, conveying individualism and money worship. , small groupism and other non-positive energies! In short, if this torment continues, it would be better to eliminate table tennis from the Olympic Games as soon as possible and let table tennis return to its natural nature as soon as possible! A scholar who can't stand it anymore and spits it out! Please correct me!

I am a ping-pong person, let me answer this question.

In March 1959, the 25th World Table Tennis Championships was held in Dortmund, Germany. In the men's singles, Rong Guotuan finally competed with Hungarian veteran Sido, who has won nine world championships. In view of Sido's obese figure, he served both long and short, combined with side topspin, and increased the angle of the kill. He won three consecutive games and defeated Sido after losing one game first. Rong Guotuan's name was engraved on the St. Bradford Cup for the first time, becoming the first world champion for a Chinese sports athlete. It is worth mentioning that in 2019, the replica of the Marlon St. Brad Cup will remain in China forever.

In 1961, at the 26th World Table Tennis Championships, Rong Guotuan won the world table tennis men's team championship for China for the first time

Qiu Zhonghui, entered the Chinese women's table tennis team in 1953 team. In 1961, she won the women's singles championship, women's team competition, and women's doubles championship at the 26th World Table Tennis Championships, becoming the first person in China to win a world women's table tennis championship (and also China's first women's world champion)

In 1971, Zhuang Zedong, an older generation of Chinese table tennis players, went to Japan to participate in a table tennis match. At that time, a very coincidental time happened. An American table tennis player mistakenly got into the Chinese team's car. Zhuang Zedong immediately He stepped forward to say hello to the American and gave him a small gift. At a time when Sino-US relations were very tense, Zhuang Zedong's move immediately became the focus of street talk among media from various countries. Taking this incident as an opportunity, China and the United States started the famous table tennis foreign teaching. Soon, U.S. President Nixon visited China and the two sides formally established diplomatic relations.

On April 19 last year, some athletes from the Chinese team and the US team participating in the individual events of the 2019 World Table Tennis Championships practiced together in the venue. Mainstream media reported at the time; this was the first two events in the past 50 years. The continuation of China's table tennis diplomacy also provides support for Houston, the United States, which is bidding to host the individual events of the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships, and the team events in Chengdu, China, in 2022.

In the history of the Olympic Games, China has produced 24 gold medals, 20 of which were won by the Chinese team, 9 for men and 11 for women.

And In the World Cup and World Championships, China has won 115 world championships. Which country or region can have so many world championships? This project originated in Europe, shined in Japan, and China has taken it to the extreme? If it’s not called a national sport, can it still be called a second sport?

If you feel like language is hollow, we have the data to speak for itself. i Liu Guoliang said in an interview with a media that table tennis has a solid mass base in China. China’s table tennis population is nearly 100 million, which is roughly composed of 2,000 professional players + 30,000 amateur sports schools + 83 million private table tennis enthusiasts. People constitute.

Because the 83 million people Liu Guoliang mentioned are those who participate more than twice a week and for more than an hour at a time. If you add in those who do not participate so frequently, the number will be even more amazing and can easily exceed 100 million. level.

The author grew up in Hebei and has made statistics on the number of people in Hebei. The level of table tennis in Hebei is almost among the top six in the country. Except for Shanghai, Beijing, Shandong and these powerful provinces, it has the same level as the People's Liberation Army. , Liaoning, Jiangsu, and Sichuan are on par. In the era when Bai Yang and Niu Jianfeng were extremely dominant, they won the team championship of the National Table Tennis Super League many times. There are more than 200 professional players registered in Hebei, more than 3,000 amateur players, and more than 90,000 enthusiasts. Among them, more than 20 people can enter the first and second national teams every year. This shows that this is a huge mass base. The bottom of the tower is to select the best among these good talents and send them to the national team. Sun Yingsha and Liang Jingkun, who are now extremely popular, are both from Hebei Province.

It can be seen that a good sports project must have a mass base and a large number of participants, so that it can have a wider range of talent selection. It can be called a national sport. Some people may say that football and basketball also have a broad mass base, but don't forget, can the results achieved by football basketball be compared with table tennis? Let alone the world champion, is it even difficult to break out of Asia? Do you think so?

Table tennis originated in the UK, but became popular in China and became the "national sport". The reason why it has become the national sport of our country is precisely because China has long occupied a very high position in the history of table tennis, and table tennis has played a significant role in the diplomatic history of our country, contributing to the development and construction of New China. He has made significant contributions; in addition, table tennis is deeply loved by the Chinese people and has a high degree of popularity among the people in our country. This makes table tennis the "national sport" of China!

1. The development history of table tennis

Table tennis originated in England at the end of the 19th century and evolved from tennis.

As a ball sport, it has been loved and sought after by sports enthusiasts since its birth. It can be said that it is suitable for all ages.

By 1926 in the 20th century, Germany held the International Table Tennis Invitational Tournament in Berlin and established the International Table Tennis Federation. After that, table tennis gradually became Asian and entered a period of rapid development, and It was officially included in the Olympic Games in 1988.

2. Changes in table tennis

1. Changes in the competition system

Single-player table tennis competitions used to be best-of-three or best-of-five. (21 points per game). In 2001, it was changed to best-of-seven games or best-of-five games (11 points per game).

2. "Small ball" changes to "big ball"

On February 23, 2000, the ITTF Special Conference and Congress passed the 40mm large ball reform plan in Kuala Lumpur. It was decided that from October 1, 2000, large balls with a diameter of 40 mm and a weight of 2.7 grams would be used to replace the small 38 mm balls.

Such a small size adjustment is enough to significantly change the rotation, speed and elasticity of the table tennis ball. Table tennis has thus entered the 4 era.

3. "Ping Pong" Diplomacy

In the spring of 1971, the American table tennis delegation made a historic visit to China. The friendly table tennis match between China and the United States was staged in Beijing, but its huge political influence spread to both sides of the Pacific, opening the door to exchanges between the Chinese and American people and diplomatic breakthroughs between China and the United States. Since then, China has broken the blockade of Europe and the United States and gradually opened its door to the world.

This is what Premier Zhou Enlai calls "ping-pong diplomacy" in which the small ball pushes the big ball. It is also an "ice-breaking" operation of China's diplomacy.

From 1971 to 1979, more than 100 countries and regions established diplomatic relations with my country. Especially in 1971, the United Nations General Assembly passed the restoration of my country's legal seat in the United Nations with 76 votes in favor. Therefore, table tennis has made significant contributions to the development and construction of New China, and is well deserved to be called the "national sport"!

4. Table tennis is deeply loved by Chinese people in China

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Chairman Mao Zedong called for “developing sports and enhancing people’s physical fitness.” Table tennis has limited requirements for venues. It is high, simple and easy to do, and is deeply loved by the Chinese people. It is a sport in which all people participate, so it is carried out relatively well across the country and has a high degree of popularity.

Reason 1: Asians’ bones are naturally flexible and very suitable for table tennis.

Reason two: Table tennis has low requirements for development and strong participation. This is an important reason for the popularity of table tennis in China.

Reason three: Table tennis is a whole-body sport that strengthens the body, brain and heart. Deeply loved by the Chinese people.

Reason 4: Table tennis is a symbol of skill and wisdom. It is very suitable for the Chinese national character.

Therefore, table tennis is particularly suitable for China’s national conditions. It is generally loved by Chinese people and has a relatively high technical level, so it can be called a “national sport”.

5. The Chinese table tennis team has achieved impressive results in the international arena

In 1959, Chinese table tennis player Rong Guotuan won the first world championship. Since then, China's table tennis has continued to thrive, winning consecutive championships in major table tennis competitions around the world.

Looking back at the number of gold medals won by the Chinese table tennis team in previous Olympic Games: 2 in the Seoul Olympics, 3 in the Barcelona Olympics, 4 in the Atlanta Olympics, 4 in Sydney, 3 in Athens... Over the years, China’s table tennis The team has always appeared in the Olympics as a "dream team", and table tennis is also one of the most stable gold medal points for the Chinese delegation.

Today, Chinese table tennis has gone through decades of development, with honors everywhere. It has won a total of 238 championships on the world stage, including 28 Olympic champions. , is the well-deserved overlord of the table tennis world.

6. Influence of Stars

Over the years, Chinese players have always performed extremely well in table tennis: Rong Guotuan, Zhuang Zedong, Xu Yinsheng, and Li Furong in the men’s event , Xu Shaofa, Zhang Xielin, Lu Yuansheng, Cai Zhenhua, Chen Xinhua, Guo Yuehua, Jiang Jialiang, Wang Tao, Kong Linghui, Liu Guoliang, etc. In the women's event, champion players such as Deng Yaping, Qiao Hong, Wang Nan, Zhang Yining, etc. are shining stars.

Generation after generation, Chinese table tennis players have fought for the country with the belief that collective interests and national interests are above all else, and have made great achievements in Chinese sports, attracting the attention of the world, and inspiring and proud of the Chinese people. They also influence the Chinese people's love for table tennis with their star status and power.

7. Summary

Therefore, it is not an accident that table tennis can become China’s national sport and be carried forward, but it has gone through a long process. It has been able to stand in the world for so many years. Table tennis has become China's sports ace. It represents the Chinese people's belief in daring to fight and a sense of cohesion. How can such a sport not be loved and powerful?

It is precisely because of table tennis’s significant contribution to the development and construction of New China, as well as its high popularity and unparalleled results in competitions, that it is well deserved to be called the “national sport”!

There are three main reasons why table tennis has become a national sport:

First: the national table tennis record is brilliant enough.

Since the 1960s, the Chinese table tennis team has been a powerful force in the world table tennis world. While leading the technological revolution in table tennis, it has also won countless honors. In the past two decades, it has won more than 90% of the championships in major competitions, almost alone in seeking defeat.

Second: Table tennis is extremely popular in China.

Table tennis is a skill-based sport that does not place high physical demands on the players. It can be said to be suitable for men, women, old and young. Moreover, table tennis does not require high space requirements for the venue, as long as there is a table and two pairs of rackets, and the equipment The price is also relatively low, making it a veritable civilian sport. Therefore, table tennis enthusiasts can be seen in every corner of China.

Third: Table tennis has made significant historical contributions to the country.

As early as 1971, the Chinese table tennis team headed by Zhuang Zedong visited the United States, which symbolized the formal breaking of the ice in political relations between the two countries. Subsequently, the President and Secretary of State of the United States visited China one after another. The two countries also successfully established diplomatic relations, and China returned to the United States. On the big stage of international politics, this is the famous "small ball turning the big ball" incident.

Calling it a national sport is a resounding recognition of Chinese table tennis.

Table tennis originated in the United Kingdom, and our country also began to have a history of table tennis in 1903.

From the basics of table tennis. The development of table tennis has benefited from the founding of the People's Republic of China and the full name of "health" sports. For the table tennis people I engage in, most of them play it as a hobby. Table tennis has very low requirements on environmental conditions and character conditions. Everyone has experienced table tennis on cement tables, wooden table tennis, and even table tennis that was played on the ground before. I was lucky enough to start on the cement floor of table tennis. In our generation, at least 6-8 out of 10 people know table tennis.

In terms of sports performance, the Congrong National League brought China’s first sports championship. Deng Yaping, Zhang Guodong, Zhang Yining, Kong Linghui, etc., who are all familiar to everyone, have all brought numerous medals to table tennis. I think the pinnacle was the Grand Slam table tennis national team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which won all gold, silver and bronze individual and team championships.

In terms of base and pride, it is not an exaggeration to call table tennis the national sport.

Why table tennis is China’s national sport? Some people answer that it is because our national team has good performance due to its high popularity; but I think this is not necessarily appropriate, because it is most likely that the national team has been determined first. Ball, it is the follow-up that will increase its popularity significantly.

The reason why table tennis is a national sport, I think, is that the most important thing is that table tennis was the first sport to emerge in the world after the founding of New China, and the first to win a world championship ( The World Table Tennis Championships in Dortmund, won by the national team), gave the Chinese people who were still relatively poor at the time a shot in the arm. We also have sports that can win championships in the world. It can be said that table tennis is a sport, a horn, and a symbol that we use to build our country!

As for the subsequent table tennis diplomacy and winning the World Table Tennis Championships gold medal, it was a matter of course. Therefore, this is the biggest reason why we position table tennis as a national sport.

1. China’s table tennis has won great honors for the country

Before the founding of New China, China had never won a world championship. I have participated in three Olympic Games and have not won a single medal. Foreigners ridiculed the Chinese as the "sick men of East Asia". After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chairman Mao Zedong called for "developing sports and enhancing people's physical fitness." Table tennis has been well developed throughout the country. In 1959, table tennis player Rong Guotuan won China's first world championship! The world is paying attention! Chinese people are inspired! Since then, table tennis in China has continued to thrive. The number of gold medals ranked first in the world in the three major world table tennis events. By 2005, China had won 143.5 championships, including 100.5 at the World Championships, 27 at the World Cup, and 16 at the Olympics. Moreover, it has won all 7 gold cups in the World Championships three times and all 4 gold medals in the Olympic Games twice. It can be concluded that no foreign country can surpass such achievements.

2. Table tennis is very popular in China and is loved by the Chinese people.

The conditions for the development of table tennis are not harsh and the participation is strong. Men, women, old and young can fight, they can fight all over the world, they can fight indoors and outdoors, they can fight whether they have money or not. If the conditions are good, you can play on a high-end table. You can also play on a cement table in poor condition. If you don’t have a table, you can also play on a few tables put together. If the weather is good, you can play in the open air. If there is strong wind and snow, you can play in a small room.

Moreover, table tennis is a whole-body exercise, which can strengthen the body, brain and heart. Compared with sports such as football and basketball, there is no direct physical confrontation and you can control the amount of exercise, which is very conducive to popularization... In short, this sport is particularly suitable for China's national conditions. It is generally loved by Chinese people and has a relatively high level, so it can be called a national sport.

3. Table tennis has contributed to China’s long-term peace and stability

There are now many reports in newspapers commemorating “ping pong diplomacy”. It is said that during the 31st World Table Tennis Championships in 1971, Chinese player Zhuang Zedong met American player Cohen. Chairman Mao Zedong seized this opportunity and took advantage of the situation to invite the American table tennis team to visit China, breaking the blockade of international hostile forces on China in one fell swoop. It has created a historical legend of "ping pong diplomacy". From 1949 to 1971, only 34 countries established diplomatic relations with my country. After "ping pong diplomacy", more than 100 countries established diplomatic relations with my country from 1971 to 1979. Especially in 1971, the United Nations General Assembly passed the restoration of my country's legal seat in the United Nations with 76 votes in favor. Therefore, some people praise China as "the little silver ball that turns the earth."

(transfer)