39 Tokyo World Games-Mixed Doubles
◎【2nd update】A man in his early thirties challenges a girl under eighteen.◎
It was called a friendship gathering among the three countries, but in reality, it was just small groups from each country wandering around the B&B area.
Zhu Qi and Ah Shui spent some time in the bathtub last night, feeling their pores open and completely relaxed. Today, after arriving at the hot springs, they found Japanese bathing culture rather unappealing, so they simply found a few spas offering foot massages.
Today's massage techniques are still mainly for enjoyment, without any strange elements.
The technicians, dressed in kimonos, half-knelt beside the foot washing tub and started kneading the calves, obviously using all their strength.
The athletes' calf muscles were very strong. Even for someone like Zhu Qi who looked very thin, the technicians still looked like they were having difficulty squeezing them.
The worst case was with the cat. A male technician came over and tried to pinch it for a long time but couldn't loosen it.
She had PTSD in this area before, and she wouldn't let anyone touch her body unless it was her own physical trainer, so she let the technician massage her feet a few times and then just soaked her feet in the foot basin.
At nine o'clock in the evening, when the red glow in the sky began to give way to the dark night, it seemed as if the show was coming to an end.
The coaching staff seemed to have activities in the evening and had to attend a press conference organized by the Japanese team, so they asked the captains of the men's and women's teams to arrange for the athletes to return to the World Games Village.
After the group got on the bus and returned to the World Games Village, A Shui began to tell the news he had heard.
"I heard the Japanese team is going to start a club. What is a club?"
Zhu Qi explained to her: "It's mainly about commercial activities, turning athletes into stars."
Maomao didn't understand again: "What is celebrity status?"
Zhu Qi was at a loss for words. This explanation was so advanced, and since they hadn't encountered it yet, they really couldn't understand it. So she explained it in plainer terms: "It means that some wealthy people set up a group, named 'So-and-so Club', and then recruit talented athletes from all over the country, and then pay them extra salaries. This way, the athletes have an additional income on top of their competition prize money and national team salary."
"I see." Maomao still didn't quite understand. "Then how do these clubs make money? Do they use a share of the athletes' bonuses?"
Zhu Qi shook his head. "No, they rely on athletes attending events, accepting advertising endorsements, and releasing all sorts of merchandise in their names... Oh, that's T-shirts, shoes, rackets, and other brands. The athletes are responsible for endorsing them, first building their reputation domestically, then promoting them internationally, and creating a global sports superstar."
"Wow! Baobao! You understand so well!" A Shui held his face.
Although table tennis clubs proliferated in large numbers over the next twenty years, it originated in Japan.
These little cherry blossoms originally shone brightly in the world because they were praised as the "Table Tennis Kingdom" before the 1960s. After being kicked off the throne by the Chinese team, they have been ambitious to regain their glory.
Before this World Games, Japan's head coach Yuto Fukuda gave interviews everywhere and told the world in a tone that was half implicit and half a declaration of war.
——Japan is making a comeback!
/
Take a day off, there are still two days until the opening ceremony.
More and more people are staying in the World Games Village, and there is a long queue in the morning to get breakfast.
Fortunately, Sister Xu Dong got up early and queued up to get breakfast for her two babies, Gada.
Zhu Qi and A Shui sat in the corner of the restaurant, munching on hand-rolled sushi while walking towards the training ground.
The table tennis training ground in the World Games Village is just behind the restaurant. As soon as I walked to the door, I could hear the sounds of ping-pong training.
After entering, the entire venue was divided into several parts by half-person-high barriers. People from many different countries were training together. Looking around, you could see people of all colors and skin colors.
At this time, the Chinese team's red uniforms became very easy to find.
Maomao was not at home. She was called away by her head coach Lao Cun early in the morning and no one knew where he went.
Warm up and start.
Zhu Qi took out the elastic band and first did some simple body stretching to open up the joints.
The men's table tennis team was already training in front of the table. Song Linzhou and Qin Xiaoba had sweat on their backs after the exercise. When they saw Zhu Qi enter the venue, they took a short break and waited for Zhu Qi to finish warming up before training.
He Qianlu also entered the court at this time. When he strode over the barrier and walked towards Zhu Qi with a bag of boiled eggs in his hand, he was suddenly surrounded by two blond-haired and blue-eyed boys, holding a racket and a pen in their hands with shining eyes.
He stuffed the freshly peeled egg in his hand into his mouth and signed autographs for two foreign boys while eating.
Maybe foreigners are more relaxed and don’t think there’s anything wrong with He Qianlu’s messy hair, sleepy face, and flip-flops.
"Coach Da He was so handsome when he was young..." Ah Shui lamented. "Time is merciless."
"He was like this when I first met him, so I didn't think he was that handsome." Zhu Qi finished warming up and began to bend down to pick up his tennis bag.
However, He Qianlu's case, which had once caused an international sensation, didn't seem to be considered a big deal by many foreigners. Only the foreign media was widely reporting and spreading the news.
That’s right, after all, they are “free”.
Song Linzhou threw a white ball to Zhu Qi, and the two stood on one side, while at the other end of the table were A Shui and Qin Xiaoba.
Ever since it was decided that Zhu Qi and Song Linzhou would form a mixed doubles team, A Shui and Qin Xiaoba became their exclusive mixed doubles practice partners.
Xu Dong and He Qianlu stood on both sides of the table and began to record the training process.
Although they didn't talk to each other much, they were both working hard for the Tokyo World Games. They only communicated about tactical issues in front of others and pretended not to know each other behind their backs.
When Foye and Ren Xinhua came over, the former frowned at the messy field. "It's so close, there's not even a partition. Many important tactics can't be demonstrated. We can only practice the usual pull-ups and sparring."
Ren Xinhua disagreed: "Didn't we expect this a long time ago? It's okay, we've already completed all the necessary training during the lockdown period. Now we just need them to get familiar with the venue and the table."
Those who were closer to the Chinese team's training base were all Asians. Among them, a group of athletes wearing white sportswear with a blue stripe around the left sleeve and the right shoulder had also finished warming up.
Zhu Qi was concentrating on dealing with the strange spinning ball thrown by A Shui, and did not notice a small shadow flying behind him.
Song Linzhou, who was closest to her, shouted, "Be careful!"
Zhu Qi subconsciously tilted her head, and a white ball brushed past her ear.
The ball landed on the table. A man came over, swinging a racket. He walked over lazily and spoke in Chinese: "I'm so sorry, I didn't hit you, did I?"
Zhu Qi squinted his eyes and saw the Taegeukgi on his left chest.
When Qin Xiaoba saw his sister was almost hit by the ball, he immediately shouted, "Hey, who are you? Be careful!"
Ah Shui recognized the man who came with bad intentions and told Qin Xiaoba, "This is Han Taiyang from the South Korean team, the one who lost to Brother Xiong in the World Cup."
"Han Taiyang, it's been a long time." Zhu Qi said indifferently, "After the World Championship two years ago, I thought you retired. I didn't expect to see you again at the World Games."
Han Taiyang tilted his head and glanced at He Qianlu, who was leaning against the table. His smile widened. "Who said it wasn't? I really missed you guys after we parted two years ago. Coach He and... player Zhu Qi."
Many Chinese people may feel that the public opinion violence in their own country is very serious, but in fact, looking at the entire global village, whether now or in twenty years, South Korea's cyber violence will definitely rank first.
First, in our time, the internet wasn't as widespread, and cyberbullying hadn't reached its peak. Plus, China is so vast, so people could only curse behind closed doors, or at most write a letter to the General Administration of Sport.
But South Korea is different. Its entire land area is smaller than the smallest Chinese province. If it embarrasses people internationally, it will be pelted with eggs. Many people even took to the streets spontaneously, standing in front of the Korean Sports Bureau with banners, loudspeakers, and splashing red water...
Han Taiyang and Li Keshan lost to two Chinese players in the finals of the World Cup respectively.
On the way back, I walked around Seoul again and again, but I couldn't avoid the people carrying baskets of eggs.
In addition, Han Taiyang was accused of racial discrimination at the Macau Palace and was severely criticized by the "beacons" of freedom.
The whole of South Korea began to distance themselves from Han Taiyang, fearing to have anything to do with him.
For two whole years, the Korean Sports Committee did not register him for any international competitions.
As for the mixed doubles roster for this World Games, he bet all the money he had earned in his career on the national team, asking for a chance to show that he had made meritorious service.
If he doesn't get a place in the mixed doubles this time, he'll have to serve in the military when he returns...
Damn Korean tradition, the system that requires men to serve in the military before the age of 35!
The one who deserves to die the most is the girl in front of me!
If she hadn't deliberately twisted her words, she wouldn't have distracted herself from the World Cup to defend herself, and she wouldn't have been pulled over by her coach to apologize to the American and Western media ten minutes before the game, causing her to lose the championship that was so close...
If he could have won the "Golden Throne" at that time, according to South Korea's military service law, he would have been exempted from military service in the three major world-class competitions - the World Championship Cup, the National Table Tennis Championships, and the top three in the World Games. Now he would not have to bear the pain of mortgaging his entire fortune.
When I think of this.
Han Taiyang wanted to bite the girl's neck in front of him.
How come after not seeing her for two years, she looks stronger than she was two years ago? I heard that she won many prizes in international competitions.
It's so abominable.
Coincidentally, the person who will form a mixed doubles with Han Taiyang this time is Li Keshan.
This wave is really like enemies meeting and becoming extremely jealous of each other.
Han Taiyang took back his ball, tossed it in his hand and caught it steadily. He held the ball in his hand as hard as if he was strangling Zhu Qi's neck.
"See you at the game," he said.
Zhu Qi spread his hands: "The premise is that you can fight to the end."
To be honest, a man in his early thirties challenged a girl who was less than eighteen years old.
This scene seems a bit funny no matter how you look at it.
Ah Shui, being outspoken, sarcastically said, "Is this the legendary 'equality' between men and women? How shameful."
Han Taiyang snorted from behind his teeth and turned away.
The tactics were communicated before the game even started.
The Tokyo World Games was the first of twelve dark years for Chinese table tennis.
This curse may be broken at this moment.
On the first day of the opening ceremony of the Tokyo World Games, the draw results for the table tennis mixed doubles group were also announced.
The athletes had no time to watch the opening ceremony. After determining their groups, they began to prepare for tomorrow's competition.
There are 64 people and 32 groups in total, divided into four areas: A, B, C and D.
There are four small groups in each area, called A1, A2...D3, D4.
This is a bad draw.
Zhu Qi and Song Linzhou are in Group 1 of Zone B, and Li Keshan and Han Taiyang are in Group 3 of Zone B.
In the first match of the 32-to-16 round, they faced the Danish mixed doubles combination.
If we advance smoothly, we might meet in the quarter-finals.
The prerequisite is that the South Korean team can make it out of Group B3-B4.
The Japanese team is in Group A1.
Groups A and B are competing for places in the finals.
The Russian group has a relatively easy time in Zone D.
Groups A and B are composed of the three major camps of China, Japan and South Korea, and can be called the death zone.
Teams from other countries except China, Japan and South Korea are in deep despair.
The table tennis level of this country is relatively average, but since this is the first time that the mixed doubles team of Zhu Qi and Song Linzhou have appeared on the stage of the three major competitions, they cannot underestimate the opponent.
After five days of adaptation after the opening ceremony, seven or eight events including swimming, shooting and figure cycling had already ended.
The Chinese team won three gold medals and two silver medals.
Perhaps because they were in Japan, many of the Chinese team's athletes were like they were energized, rushing forward one after another, and even won a bronze medal in the high jump, which was not a gold medal.
The day before the table tennis mixed doubles match, Ren Xinhua did not let Zhu Qi and the others train, but instead called the two children to the women's volleyball semi-finals. Coincidentally, the Chinese women's volleyball team was playing against the Japanese women's volleyball team.
Ren Xinhua handed the two people a sign that said "cheer for the Chinese team."
"No training today, I'll bring you to watch the game." Ren Xinhua said with a smile.
This early cheering banner only had six big characters "Go Chinese Women's Volleyball Team" on it, unlike the stadiums twenty years later where some player photos would be photoshopped behind the characters.
But among the sun flags all over the field, being able to support one of the few Chinese characters is the greatest encouragement for the girls who are shouting hoarsely on the court.
Ren Xinhua is an avid fan of women's volleyball and has a close relationship with the head coach of the women's volleyball team in private.
Whenever the Chinese women's volleyball team scores, she will cheer.
Although Zhu Qi didn't understand volleyball, he at least knew that he could score points by hitting the ball.
He also knew that Ren Xinhua wanted them to relax, not be too restrained, enjoy the arena, and get familiar with the Japanese shouts from all directions.
During closed-door training, Ren Xinhua taught Zhu Qi and Song Linzhou a high-toss serve. Now, he explained the secret of the high-toss serve to Zhu Qi: "The inspiration for the high-toss serve came to me when I was watching a women's volleyball match. It's possible to apply the jumping serve of volleyball to table tennis. The acceleration and friction of the ball as it descends creates a powerful spin that's difficult for a chopper to cut."
This type of serve is more restraining for slicers.
Ren Xinhua asked Zhu Qi to use it specifically to deal with the pineapple-headed player in the Russian mixed doubles.
Zhu Qi seemed to be lost in thought.
Volleyball is a very visually beautiful thing to play.
When female athletes jump, their bodies lean back like a fully drawn bow, and their arms swing back with their bodies and then strike.
The ball spun into the enemy camp with great rotation. The girls overlapped their positions and switched between offense and defense. Their tacit cooperation was like a powerful force, making the play beautiful and powerful.
With bursts of roars and the sound of wrist bones hitting volleyballs, the Chinese women's volleyball team successfully won the semi-final victory.
When all the Japanese were upset about their country losing the gold and silver medals, Ren Xinhua raised his arms and shouted amidst the regrets.
The two juniors sat next to the chairman and clapped politely.
When the show was over, Ren Xinhua stood at the edge of the audience and greeted the head coach of the women's volleyball team. The other party was also a female coach who looked about the same age as Ren Xinhua.
Seeing the two juniors leaving with a look of reluctance, Ren Xinhua felt relieved: "Tomorrow it's your turn to stand on the competition field. Are you nervous?"
The two shook their heads.
"Da Ling, you have good grades in academic subjects. I heard that you scored over 80 points in academic subjects and were admitted to Guoxing Sports University? That's great. What do the young people call this? A top student? Oh, the world has lost an academic academician and gained a national table tennis player." Ren Xinhua joked with the two children with a smile.
Although Song Linzhou is an athlete, he still has a scholarly streak, perhaps because his mother was a middle school teacher before she was laid off. He smiled shyly, "I still prefer playing basketball. It's all for the country anyway, so it's the same thing."
This guy is the young master of the Beijing team, and he has the buff of a top student.
If it were twenty years later, he would definitely be a noble prince in the sports world.
Zhu Qi sighed and said that it was a case of being born at the wrong time.
After talking about Song Linzhou, Chairman Ren turned his head and began to ask about Zhu Qi's studies: "You will also take the college entrance examination next year, right? Although athletes don't take academic courses after joining the provincial team, they still have to take the college entrance examination. It seems that the National Table Tennis Championships will be held after your college entrance examination. Will you have time to participate?"
"Of course!" Zhu Qi said without thinking.
The college entrance examination is in early June, and the triennial national table tennis championship is in early November.
In fact, for the players of the national team, the college entrance examination is just a formality, and many of them can be admitted to their provincial sports universities.
Those with better grades can apply for the future 985 sports university.
In any case, Zhu Qi will not be delayed from playing the game!
As one of the three major competitions, the National Table Tennis Championships is fully named: Global Table Tennis World-Class Domination League.
The number of participants reached 64!
Moreover, the schedule is invitation-based, unlike the World Cup and World Games, where athletes are registered in the name of their country.
The International Table Tennis Federation will send invitations to 64 men and women from the top of the world rankings, starting from the top. Participants must bring their athlete certificates and invitation letters to enter the competition venue.
If there are athletes who are unable to participate, their ranking will be lowered.
So a country may participate in multiple athletes. Currently, there are 8 people in the Chinese women's team among the top 64.
She is determined to win this Grand Slam puzzle of the National Table Tennis Championships!
/
Zhu Qi has completely adapted to the venue and table these days, and he changed two rubbers for himself the day before the game.
Rubber is different from the bat. The bat needs to adapt to your hands, but the newer the rubber, the better.
Chang Hongxia said that she basically changes the rubber once a day in major competitions.
The next morning, the Chinese women's volleyball team defeated the American women's volleyball team again and won the championship of this World Games.
The Chinese team won the gold medal plus one.
In the afternoon.
The table tennis matches will be broadcast live on the China Sports Channel.
Everyone watched as a man and a woman from their country walked into the center of the camera one after another, wearing the crimson national team uniforms with the red flag on their chests as dazzling as flames.
As the two young athletes turned and bowed to the audience, the people of the country saw their nationalities and names behind them.
Zhu.Qi
China
Song.LZ
China
The first match of 32 to 16 in the mixed doubles table tennis event of the Tokyo World Games officially began.
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