China News Service, Yan'an, September 20th, title: 41-year-old unyielding veteran enjoys "happy table tennis" in the National Games
China News Agency reporter Wang Yu
At 1 o'clock in the afternoon on the 20th, the tense atmosphere in the gymnasium of Yan'an University made the air almost "stagnation."
On the court, Shaanxi veteran Hou Yingchao glanced at Zhao Zihao, a young Shanghai player facing across the net. After holding a ping pong ball, he bowed his head for a while before sending a long ball straight to his opponent's backhand.
The latter didn't react in time and returned the ball to the net.
In an instant, the stands shook violently, and the waves of cheers like a tsunami almost "turned over" the roof of the stadium.
After winning the game, Hou Yingchao raised his arms and shouted and celebrated with the coaches and teammates of the Shaanxi team.
The team doctor rushed forward to hold Hou Yingchao's wrist, confirmed that his pulse was normal, and exited the field, allowing him to enjoy this moment of victory alone.
After Hou Yingchao successfully defeated Zhao Zihao, the Shaanxi men's team defeated the defending champion Shanghai team 3-2.
The Shaanxi table tennis team appeared in the top four men's team at the National Games for the first time.
He started playing at the age of 6, was selected for the national team at the age of 18, and took off the national team jersey at the age of 34... Looking back at Hou's 35-year career in the Premier League, this is not his most glorious moment on the table tennis court.
But at this moment, the 41-year-old Hou Yingchao, together with this victory, will forever be engraved in the history of Shaanxi table tennis and the National Games table tennis arena.
The victory was hard-won, and Hou Yingchao couldn't help sighing the cruelty and ruthlessness of the years. "Many mistakes are actually half a step away. Muscle flexibility is gone, and I am dissatisfied with my body, but there is no way. If I am twenty How old, ten games a day is the same as playing."
However, love can last for a long time.
Hou Yingchao once said: "Ping pong is a part of my life, and playing table tennis is my job to support my family. How can I not love it?" Although the words were light, he used 35 years of hard work to fulfill it.
Olympic champion Xu Xin also paid tribute to the veteran. "As a veteran, Hou Yingchao can compete with small players. It is really not easy to win at the most critical moment. It is worth learning from all athletes."
Tonight's semi-finals, the legend continues.
Hou Zhichao, who was ridiculed by netizens as "the first threshold for the construction of the national table tennis team", defeated the Tokyo Olympic P card player Wang Chuqin 3-2.
The exhaustion of continuous combat has made the veteran show fatigue on the field, but his fighting spirit is always high.
As he said, "I told myself that no matter how tired I am, I must persist. I will have a chance at the end. If I give up, there will be no chance at all."
Although he lost to the Olympic champion Malone again after that, the Shaanxi men's team lost to the Beijing team 1:3 and failed to make any further progress.
But when Hou Zhichao retired, the audience applauded the unyielding veteran who had played in the table tennis for many years.
41 years old, 6th National Games, participated in 6 games, 9 games, 7 wins and 2 losses.
The significance of Hou Yingchao to this field is far beyond simple figures.
At the National Table Tennis Championships two years ago, Hou Ying won the men's singles championship after 19 years and became the oldest men's singles championship in the history of Chinese table tennis.
In the national competition that is no less difficult than the Olympic Games, a "table tennis miracle" was staged.
Today, the table tennis legend belonging to Hou Yingchao has not yet come to an end.
Someone asked, how long can Hou Yingchao's bravery last?
He said that he hopes that he can maintain this state for as long as possible.
"I'm 41 years old, and I can still fight on the same court with teenagers in their early twenties, and I'm not getting beaten all over to find teeth. I'm already very happy. If I can continue to enjoy the game, maintain my physical, technical and tactical conditions. , Will stick to the next National Games." (End)