On September 11, Beijing time, during the Macau Championship, national table tennis coach Wang Hao specially found German table tennis player Qiu Dang for a chat, and deeply cared for Fan Zhendong, a disciple who was far away in the Bundesliga. He not only spoke out for his disciple's first defeat, but also mentioned Lin Gaoyuan in the conversation!
Fan Zhendong's start in the Bundesliga was not smooth. In the first round of the league last week, Fan Zhendong's Bundesliga debut was not smooth. He played in two games and lost regretfully. Although Wang Hao was far away in the country, he always paid attention to the performance of his disciples. Through exchanges with Qiu Dang, he not only learned about Fan Zhendong's debut record, but also specifically explained the disciple's defeat, believing that this was a result of "not adapting". This conversation showed Wang Hao's understanding and maintenance of Fan Zhendong as the head coach. In addition, Wang Hao also asked Qiu Dang whether Lin Gaoyuan would also play in the German Champions League
Fan Zhendong did not let the supporters wait too long. In the second round of the German Table Tennis League One held on September 6, Saarbrücken Club defeated Bad Koenigeshofen Club 3:1 away. Fan Zhendong played in the second set and defeated Philip Zeliko 3:1. This was Fan Zhendong's first victory after joining the Bundesliga. Since then, he played in the fourth set, defeating Andre Bettasmeier 3:1, helping the club to win the first season, from losing streak to scoring two points alone to help the team win. Fan Zhendong demonstrated his strong psychological adjustment ability and technical strength
Fan Zhendong's popularity in the Bundesliga is amazing. At the home court of Bad Koenigshofen Club, more than 1,000 spectators watched the game on the spot. The club temporarily installed a stand for this. According to the official website of the Bundesliga, away tickets were sold out in 72 hours. The original price of 25 euros was hyped to 180 euros. Tickets were hard to find. The fans not only come from China, but also from Australia, New Zealand and Canada and other countries. After the game, all domestic and foreign fans stood up and applauded and congratulated Fan Zhendong. Fan Zhendong also frequently expressed his gratitude to the fans. It was originally a away game, but in the end, Fan Zhendong turned the away game into home games
Wang Hao and Fan Zhendong's relationship is much more than ordinary master-apprentice. Qiu Dang mentioned in the conversation: "Francisca said that he would always be with Fan Zhendong every day." Wang Hao asked with concern: "He is alone", revealing his concern for his disciples to live alone in overseas battles. Wang Hao was once a teammate of Fan Zhendong's team in the Bayi team and the national team. After retiring in 2017, they became Fan Zhendong's head coach. The outside world even described this relationship as "father and son". Wang Hao once said emotionally: "I watched him grow up. At first, he was a teammate, and later he was a head coach. Along the way, I have been watching him grow up."
Wang Hao and Fan Zhendong's master-apprentice journey was not smooth. In the 2019 Budapest World Table Tennis Championships, Fan Zhendong, who ranked first in the world, lost to Liang Jingkun and stopped in the men's singles quarterfinals. This was not only the low point of Fan Zhendong, but also a period of doubting Wang Hao's coaching ability; in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Fan Zhendong won the gold medal in the men's singles final and became the first player to win this honor for China. When he first won the championship, he was greeted by Wang Hao, who was both a teacher and a friend. He looked at each other affectionately, followed each other with his master and apprentice, and hugged him warmly! This victory also has special significance for Wang Hao. As an athlete, Wang Hao has ranked second in the Olympic men's singles three times, and as a coach, he eventually led his disciples to realize his unfinished dream
The one who impressed the most was the 1/4 men's singles match of the Paris Olympics. Fan Zhendong played against Japanese player Zhang Benzhihe. Fan Zhendong fell behind in the first two games. However, in the difficult moment of falling behind 0:2, Fan Zhendong said firmly to Wang Hao: "I can!" Wang Haoye firmly replied to Fan Zhendong: "Yes, we can do it. If we play in such a situation, we can accept it. Let's go and change it again. It's very good." This brief conversation Give Fan Zhendong a huge confidence and support, and he finally succeeded in reversing the game and advanced to the semi-finals. When Fan Zhendong finally reversed and won the game, Wang Hao's eyes were filled with tears. This scene was captured by the camera, touching countless audiences. Wang Hao came to the coach's seat more than a year. He was obviously much older and had no choice. The coach needs to think about more things and stay up late, which is a huge consumption of the body.
Wang Hao is far away, but he pays attention to everything about his disciples through various ways. This kind of master-disciple friendship has surpassed ordinary professional relationships and has become a good story in the history of table tennis
