"Ma Long: The farewell of the table tennis legend? ”
Introduction: Ma Long, a legend in the table tennis world, is now entering the late stage of his career. After the men's team final of the 2024 World Table Tennis Championships in Busan, he bluntly said that this may be his "last game as a world championship", which makes people wonder: Ma Long, will he really say goodbye to table tennis?
Malone's farewell: premature?
Since Ma Long "withdrew" from the World Table Tennis Championships and the main lineup of national table tennis three years ago, and once again put forward a signal to retire, many people do not think so. Even his teammates Fan Zhendong, Wang Chuqin and others next to him didn't seem to have any sense of sadness. None of this is perhaps surprising, as Malone has expressed similar thoughts many times over the past three years, but was eventually "invited" to come back to play. For this 1988-born table tennis evergreen, retirement may be a topic that has been talked about for a long time, but whether it will really be realized is full of unknowns.
Ma Long's table tennis legend: an evergreen tree that transcends life
In the history of the Chinese table tennis team, Ma Long can be called a legend. Before him, although there were many famous generals who insisted on not retiring at an advanced age, most of them chose to quit the national team and go abroad to develop. In contrast, at the age of 35, Ma Long is still the unshakable top three main force of the men's team, which has never happened in the Chinese team in the past and will not necessarily happen again in the future.
Ma Long's major decision: the retreat is imminent
Looking back at Ma Long's career, especially after the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, he once made important decisions. Although he won two gold medals in men's singles and men's team at the Tokyo Olympics, he then chose to withdraw from the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships in Houston and did not participate in the men's singles event of the National Games that year. The decision led to the widespread belief that he had entered the countdown to retirement. However, the next series of events once again broke people's expectations.
Ma Long's Return Again: An irreplaceable table tennis giant
After the World Table Tennis Championships in Houston, Ma Long once again became the main force of the national table tennis men's team, and then participated in the 2023 Durban World Table Tennis Championships and the 2024 Busan World Table Tennis Championships. Even in Busan, he still showed great strength, which made people sigh once again about his irreplaceability. Despite turning 36 years old, his performances on the pitch have been incredibly consistent.
Ma Long's future: Where does table tennis go from here?
At present, it seems that the suspense of Ma Long's participation in the Paris Olympics is not large, but whether he will officially retire or leave the main squad is still unknown. After all, neither time nor age is irreversible for anyone. But more importantly, the national table tennis needs to be prepared for the replacement of the old and the new to prevent personnel vacancies, otherwise it may face irreparable losses.
Conclusion: Ma Long is a legend in the table tennis world and a witness of the times. Whether or not he ultimately chooses to retire, it will not erase his glorious history in the table tennis world. For the table tennis world, how to meet new challenges and how to do a good job in the replacement of the old and the new will determine the future direction. Ma Long's farewell may be just the beginning, and the legend of table tennis will always shine on the stage of history.
Rhetorical question: Do you think this year will be the last time Ma Long will participate in the World Table Tennis Championships? Welcome to leave a message and write your own opinion!