China ‘dragon’ Ma Long breathes fire again with record 27th tour title and is ready to prove too hot at the Tokyo Olympics
- Former world number one is back in business after defeating compatriot Lin in the men’s singles final at the Qatar Open
- The 2016 Rio Olympics table tennis singles champion has pulled out from a number of tournaments since last summer due to knee problems
After an injury-hit seven-month absence, China table tennis star Ma Long reigned supreme again after the mainlander clinched his 27th singles tour championship at the Qatar Open – proving the 30-year-old will be a force at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
After dropping out of the top 10 late last year, the veteran made an astounding comeback with a 4-2 victory over countryman Lin Gaoyuan in the men’s singles final at the ITTF platinum tournament.
Nicknamed China Dragon because his name “Long” is pronounced like the word for dragon in Putonghua, Ma’s position in Team China remains solid despite being challenged by a new generation of players such as Lin, Liang Jingkun, Zhou Yu as well as seasoned hands Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin, the world number one and two respectively.
“My first open championship was in Doha in 2005 and winning it again for the fourth time here carries special meaning, especially because it’s my first tournament in seven months,” said Ma, now ranked 12th in the world. “I would say this is my happiest tour victory and a perfect booster ahead of next month’s World Championships in Budapest.”