China's table tennis head coach Li Sun reflects on recent setbacks: Young players need more match experience and time to grow
At the WTT Champions Montpellier 2024, China's men's and women's table tennis teams missed the championships. According to CCTV News, shortly after the tournament, the Chinese national table tennis team headed to Oman to compete in the WTT Contender Muscat 2024, which began on October 28.
Li Sun, the head coach of the Chinese national table tennis team, summarized the team's recent performance. He noted that, after the team's historic sweep of five gold medals at the Paris Olympics, the players have been in a period of adjustment. "Following the2024 WTT Champions Macao and the WTT China Smash, the team has entered a recovery phase, and several key players have not participated in recent competitions. This has given younger players opportunities to take on greater responsibilities in matches," Li said.
Li acknowledged that the primary players have not been able to engage in systematic training recently, leading to incomplete physical and mental recovery, which has impacted their competitive performance. These issues were evident in both the men's and women's teams at the Asian Championships. Since returning to Beijing, the team has been conducting a comprehensive review of their performance.
"During these recent competitions, the competitiveness displayed by teams from other countries has been a significant challenge for our younger athletes. It has also highlighted areas they need to work on and clarified their goals for improvement. As the new Olympic cycle begins, the competitive landscape is still forming, and every team has a chance to compete for titles. Our young players need more match experience and time to grow, which is a natural part of competitive sports," Li explained. He emphasized that the coaching staff is taking the issues seriously, and the most important takeaway from these setbacks is the lessons learned. "We hope our fans can offer more understanding and patience," he added.
Looking ahead, the national team's primary players will gradually return to competition during the WTT Champions Frankfurt 2024 in November. "At this stage, we are using competitions to continue training. Whether we win or lose, these matches provide valuable insights for the next preparation phase," Li said.
"Please trust in the team's unwavering determination and confidence to overcome difficulties and pursue victory," Li concluded, "We will give our all in the remaining tournaments this year, and we deeply appreciate the continued support from our fans."
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