Watch This | Women's Teams: What lead to China's 1-3 loss against Japan

On the evening of Oct. 9, Japan defeated defending champions China with a 3-1 victory to clinch the women's team title at the 27th Asian Table Tennis Championships.

One of the primary reasons for China's loss in this final was fatigue. Since the Paris Olympics, Sun Yingsha has played 29 matches, 121 sets in less than three months. After winning the women's singles title at the WTT China Smash on Oct. 6, she immediately boarded a flight to Kazakhstan in the early hours of the following day to compete in the Asian Table Tennis Championships. 

During the final, Sun Yingsha was visibly exhausted, often gasping for breath, rubbing and stretching her arms, and even shaking uncontrollably while drinking water—clear signs of extreme fatigue. 

In addition to fatigue, China's table tennis women's team also faced other challenges. Wang Manyu, one of the key players, withdrew from the competition due to family reasons, leading to a last-minute lineup change with Chen Xingtong stepping in.

Moreover, many players expressed concerns about the playing conditions, noting that the table surface was slippery and the seamless balls were very light, which posed difficulties for power and speed-oriented players.

While there are external factors contributing to the loss, the Chinese coaching team also faces scrutiny for their management of the players' training and match schedules. The failure to balance competition with adequate rest and recovery raises questions about the long-term development and health of the athletes.

Moving forward, the coaching team will need to carefully consider how to manage the athletes' workload and prioritize their physical well-being to ensure sustained success.

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