Chinese table tennis legend Deng Yaping full of praise as ‘Long Mang’ win national title
Four-time Olympic champ and first female grand slam winner marvels at Ma Long and Xu Xin, reminds youngsters to ‘figure out a way forward’
Table tennis legend Deng Yaping posted messages congratulating three pairs of players on their doubles victories at the National Championships, while reminding younger athletes that they needed to “figure out a way forward”.
The doubles tournament concluded on Sunday night in Changsha, where returning veterans Ma Long and Xu Xin swept aside Xiang Peng and Huang Youzheng 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-9) in straight games to capture the men’s doubles title.
This marked the third National Championships men’s doubles title for the “Long Mang” (Dragon and Python) duo following their victories in 2015 and 2020.
Deng, who won four Olympic gold medals and was table tennis’ first female grand slam winner, posted a video after the match congratulating the pair.
“I can only say, experience counts! Today, the two veterans gave our young players a thorough lesson in what meticulous technique, experience and composure during competition really mean,” Deng said, describing the match as “delightful to watch”.
Praising the two veterans, Deng expressed admiration for their high level of play at their age, noting how they gradually unlocked muscle memory “engraved in their genes” that “awakened and returned, getting better with every match until the final”.