Fan Zhendong has pulled out of China’s defense of its World Team Table Tennis Championship title, sparking fears among fans that this could be the year the men finally lose.
The only National Games champion, Fan qualified directly for the tournament, which runs from April 28 to May 10 in London, but is said to have dropped out for “personal reasons”.
In the previous tournament in South Korea two years ago, Fan was instrumental in securing China’s 11th consecutive title, especially winning two crucial points in the semi-final against the hosts in Busan.
Responding to a question last July about his future with the national team, Fan said he “wasn’t strong enough to withstand pressure from all sides”.
In the 29-year-old’s absence, the Chinese men will be led by world No. 1 Wang Chuqin, with Lin Shidong, Zhou Qihao, Xiang Peng and Liang Jingkun also participating. On the women’s side, world No 1 Sun Yingsha will lead the team which includes Wang Manyu, Chen Xingtong, Kuai Man and Wang Yidi.
Public concern is growing as China currently holds only two places in the world’s top 10 for men.
