Fan Zhendong can tell clearly! German club said Lin Gaoyuan wanted to play in Germany, but the Table Tennis Association refused to let him go

Tablesheet Association has two faces?

Also joining the German League, national player Lin Gaoyuan and Fan Zhendong's experiences are completely different...

Both sides bought the air tickets, waiting to fly to Germany and join the club to play key games. At this time, his itinerary was stopped by the Chinese Table Tennis Association.

The other party announced the franchise in a high-profile manner, and received official public support, and went to Germany as planned to embark on a new journey.

The air tickets were all bought, but they were stopped at the end. In 2024, Lin Gaoyuan and Liang Jingkun packed to the Murhouse Club in Germany, which was the first time at that time.

Active national player, and he is still at the pillar level. It is a very "outrageous" thing to go to Europe to play the league...

However, "Murhouse" also gave enough face. The players' meeting was lively, and the club chairman even raised Lin Gaoyuan's joining to the strategic level of "relevant to the team's Champions League journey".

And Lin Gaoyuan was really successful, and scored three points in his first appearance in the Champions League, which directly shocked the club.

But good times won't last long.

In April 2025, Murhouse made great progress in the Champions League and reached the quarterfinals. It was just when Lin Gaoyuan, the "Great God", was needed to attack the city and capture the village, and unexpectedly came.

According to coach Murhouse, Lin Gaoyuan should have played another game and could play the Champions League semi-finals with just two games. Lin Gaoyuan himself was ready to go, even the ticket to Europe was in his pocket.

But the Chinese Table Tennis Association did not nod because it was "to prepare for the Doha World Table Tennis Championships with all its might."

This reason was directly given to the German coach. I couldn't do it anymore, and I also said: He really wanted to come, but the Table Tennis Association just refused to let go.

In the end, Murhouse's technical director could only spread his hands and expressed respect for the decision of the Table Tennis Association, but Lin Gaoyuan's absence really caught them off guard.

However, there is no reason for the Table Tennis Association to do this......

How much weight does an individual choose have?

Tabler Association does this, and it seems that the reason is reasonable. At that time, Ma Long will gradually hide behind the scenes, and Fan Zhendong temporarily bids farewell to the international arena due to some situations. The national team is just at the moment when the old and new changes, and it feels bad to be incompatible with the old and the young.

And the Doha World Table Tennis Championships, as a tough battle before the Olympic cycle, really requires a mainstay like Lin Gaoyuan to take over.

However, the script did not follow the expectations.

Lin Gaoyuan accidentally capsized in the third round of the men's singles in the Doha World Table Tennis Championships. He was once again ruthless at the critical moment. He lost more than just a ranking in this game. Not only did the world ranking be affected, the prospects for the Olympics have also faded a lot.

If I look back now, if he went to Europe as planned, and honed it in the high-intensity confrontation of real swords and guns of the Champions League, and maintained a hot feel, would the result of Doha be a different scene?

Of course, this is all a later story and cannot be verified.

However, Lin Gaoyuan's "half-la-khaji" experience in overseas study has indeed put the little contradictions and frictions between the individual development of athletes and the overall needs of the national team on the surface...

However, after seeing Lin Gaoyuan's current situation, it has to be said that Fan Zhendong is really "too clear"...

Why is Fan Zhendong so calm when going overseas? At the end of 2024, Fan Zhendong chose to withdraw from the WTT world rankings. Many people think that he is speaking for the athletes and challenging those unreasonable event arrangements and excessive commercialization.

By June 2025, the official announcement of joining Salbrücken in the Bundesliga was like throwing a bomb into the calm lake.

Compared with Lin Gaoyuan's time, Fan Zhendong's "going to the sea" this time obviously had a more comprehensive plan and a more relaxed journey.

However, Fan Zhendong "goes to sea", which is very particular about the timing.

According to the Table Tennis Association, he will first complete the task of the Table Tennis Super League in China, and then wait until the Bundesliga starts in August before heading to Europe.

And the Bundesliga only has two or three games a month, and the intensity is not high, which leaves him enough space for both sides.

Secondly, there are some new trends in the European table tennis world recently. Veteran Boer has been on the shoot, Calderano has also left the Bundesliga. Fan Zhendong's airborne is undoubtedly a shot of a heart-warming agent for the league, and this time the German media directly yelled him as "a person who can change the rules of the game."

At the same time, the Salbrücken Club naturally looked forward to him, and the Swedish star Moregod almost carved the word "expectation" on his face.

But then again, Fan Zhendong is interested in the Bundesliga for many reasons...

First, he maintains his feel, there are not many opportunities for domestic competitions, and the WTT ranking has dropped again. The Bundesliga just allows him to compete with experts of various styles.

The second is to adjust the injury recovery. The competition density has dropped, and the body can slowly move; third is a personal long-term plan. In addition to money, it is more important to learn something in the new environment, experience it, and even pave the way for future transformation.

And there is another interesting detail in it. Saarbrücken is the blessed place where Fan Zhendong won the first singles championship of the third major competition (World Cup) nine years ago. Revisiting the old place is also a special fate..

However, there is another voice that Fan Zhendong's move is behind the foresight of Wang Liqin and other senior leaders of the Table Tennis Association.

When Fan Zhendong was facing the domestic situation, the pressure of public opinion, and the WTT points were too restricted, letting him go to the Bundesliga, which can not only ease the internal tension, but also allow him to continue to shine on another track, and also help table tennis to regain fans in the world. It is simply a kill of three birds with one stone.

, and CCTV and Table Tennis Association also publicly expressed their understanding and support. This is really a matter of ice and fire when Lin Gaoyuan's treatment at that time.

Coincidentally, before and after Fan Zhendong announced his study abroad, Ocharov and Hugo and 26 international celebrities organized the International Table Tennis Employees Union (UTTP) in Lausanne, Switzerland, but no Chinese athletes were seen on the list.

, and Fan Zhendong withdrew from the WTT rankings and then entered the Bundesliga as a club player. To some extent, he is also using his own way to strive for greater voice and a more comfortable game environment.

Conclusion

Comparing the experiences of Fan Zhendong and Lin Gaoyuan, you can find that there is nothing right or wrong for athletes to go out and explore. The key is whether the timing is accurate and whether the path is right or not.

Also, can all parties (players themselves, clubs, national teams) sit down and talk well and straighten things out.

Lin Gaoyuan's time was more like the pain that our system must experience during the running-in period. My personal desire to fly was only allowed to let go in front of the national team's big chess game.

And Fan Zhendong's "ice-breaking journey" seems to have explored a more flexible path. Behind this, although he is his status and voice as a top player in the world, it may also be that the Chinese Table Tennis Association has quietly undergone some changes in its management ideas and international exchanges, becoming more mature and more flexible.

One road is not completed, the other road is being paved.

Fan Zhendong's step may not only be his personal footprints, but also a new footprint for Chinese table tennis to move towards the future.