Chinese table tennis chief Liu Guoliang quits, Wang Liqin, Ma Long to head Olympic charge
Wang Liqin takes over from Liu Guoliang as president of Chinese Table Tennis Association, as Ma Long becomes a vice-president
Liu Guoliang resigned as president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA) on Wednesday, saying he was stepping down to leave his replacement enough time to guide the nation’s preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Less than nine months after China swept the table tennis gold medals in Paris, the 49-year-old handed the baton to his vice-president Wang Liqin, a two-time Olympic champion who had climbed the ladder as a sports official in Shanghai since his retirement from playing in 2014.
There was a nod to the future, too, as six-time Olympic champion Ma Long was elected a vice-president of the CTTA at the congress on Wednesday.
Liu cited a smooth transition for the association and an intention to spend more time with his family as reasons for stepping down.
“I resigned at the right time to leave the new CTTA leadership a full cycle of preparations for the Los Angeles Olympic Games,” Liu said. “Now I am considering spending more time with my family.”
One of 11 players to have completed a grand slam – having won singles titles at the Olympics, World Championships and World Cup – Liu became head coach of China’s men’s national team at 27 in 2003. He subsequently became chief coach of China’s table tennis teams in 2013, and took the helm of the CTTA in 2018.