Chinese Table Tennis Association President Resigns After World Cup 'Stain'

Mr. Liu Guoliang (2nd from right) won all Grand Slam table tennis titles in singles.

Mr. Liu Guoliang is one of the greatest legends of world table tennis, having won all Grand Slam titles in singles (including Olympic gold medals, World Cup and World Cup).

After retiring, he was appointed head coach of the Chinese national table tennis team in 2013 and led the team to win all four gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

He took over as President of the Chinese Table Tennis Association in 2018 and was re-elected in 2023. Under his leadership, Chinese table tennis continued to dominate the world with 9 out of 10 gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics.

However, Chinese table tennis leaders have faced a wave of criticism after player Lin Shidong lost to Brazilian opponent Hugo Calderano in the recent 2025 World Cup final.

The defeat marked the first time since 2018 that China’s men’s singles table tennis team has missed out on a world title. Since 2007, they have only stumbled once, in 2017, when German Ovtcharov won.

According to Xinhua News Agency, Liu Guoliang's successor is current Vice President Wang Liqin.

Mr. Wang Liqin, 46 years old, is one of the most outstanding players in the history of Chinese table tennis. He has won two Olympic gold medals and three World Cup men's singles championships. After retiring from the national team in 2013, Mr. Wang Liqin has been serving as Vice President of CTTA since 2018.

The leadership transition between two legendary figures of Chinese table tennis marks a new phase for the sport considered the "national spirit" of this country of a billion people.

Trong Dat

Source: https://tienphong.vn/chu-tich-lien-doan-bong-ban-trung-quoc-tu-chuc-sau-vet-nho-world-cup-post1736345.tpo