Table tennis legend Deng Yaping posted messages congratulating the three pairs of players on their doubles victory at the National Championships, while reminding the young athletes that they needed to “find a way forward”.
The doubles competition concluded on Sunday night in Changsha, where returning veterans Ma Long and Xu Xin eliminated Xiang Peng and Huang Youzheng 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-9) in straight games to claim the doubles title.
This marked the third National Championship men’s doubles title for “Long Mang” (Dragon and Python) following their wins in 2015 and 2020.
Deng, who won four Olympic gold medals and was the first female table tennis champion, posted a video after the match congratulating the pair.
“I can only say, experience is important! Today, the two veterans gave our young players a thorough lesson on what careful approach, experience and composure during the competition really means,” Deng said, describing the match as “fun to watch”.
Praising the two veterans, Deng expressed admiration for their high level of performance at their age, noting how they gradually unlocked the muscle memory “etched in their genes” that “woke up and came back, getting stronger with every match until the finals”.
