B-rated players in China?

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I know they become practice partners for the A-tier players and all, and this is what I know about the B or lower players:

- They hold satellite tournaments for ONE spot on the team trial main tournament, only to compete again for a spot in the international tournaments. Usually Li Ping wins this spot, and I recall he defeated Chen Qi and another player, only to be defeated by Ma Long in the final.

- They usually are mandated to copy the styles of international world class players, so that the A-tier team gets better preparation. Zhang Chao is a perfect example: his movements (save the serve) completely mimics Schlager.
*To date, I don't think there is a Timo Boll clone, since his fundamentals are completely different from both the Euro players and the Chinese players.

What I want to find out about the B players:

- What's their lifestyle like? Where they live, what they eat, their coaches, salaries, etc.

- Is there advancement opportunities for them? I know that Xu Xin made the National A team while being in the B team by challenging the A team to round robin matches. The A team would give the B team a 2 point handicap. When the coaches saw that he beat Ma Long 3-2 and Chen Qi 3-0, they realized Xu Xin's strong mental game and decided to transfer him into the A team, under the guidance of Qin Zhijian.

Chinese_Ping_Pong_Lessons_080806PICT1356.jpg

Photo from: HERE
 
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Yeah there is definitely potential to move up. Most players go through the progression of going from the B team to A team, as opposed to automatically going into the A team I think. Zhou Yu is the most recent player to move from the B team to the A team. I am pretty sure that for the most part, their lifestyles, what they eat, and even most of their coaches are exactly the same as the A team. They just probably get less attention from the elite coaches. As with the entire Chinese team, its insanely competitive, so I think you only really get a chance to prove yourself while you are younger, and if you do, then the elite coaches take more notice of you, train you, and therefore you improve more and make it to the A team. Otherwise, you probably are stuck for the most part in the B team if you reach a certain age without proving your potential.

Even if you don't make it onto the A team, you still have a comfortable future ahead of you anyway, so its not like a total wash for those who don't make it. They can play in the super league for the different teams, the government, since they fund the athletic system in China, will provide for you, and you also can open up your own table tennis center, and get a lot of business since people know you are good enough to be on the B team, which itself is insanely difficult.
 
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Yeah there is definitely potential to move up. Most players go through the progression of going from the B team to A team, as opposed to automatically going into the A team I think. Zhou Yu is the most recent player to move from the B team to the A team. I am pretty sure that for the most part, their lifestyles, what they eat, and even most of their coaches are exactly the same as the A team. They just probably get less attention from the elite coaches. As with the entire Chinese team, its insanely competitive, so I think you only really get a chance to prove yourself while you are younger, and if you do, then the elite coaches take more notice of you, train you, and therefore you improve more and make it to the A team. Otherwise, you probably are stuck for the most part in the B team if you reach a certain age without proving your potential.

Even if you don't make it onto the A team, you still have a comfortable future ahead of you anyway, so its not like a total wash for those who don't make it. They can play in the super league for the different teams, the government, since they fund the athletic system in China, will provide for you, and you also can open up your own table tennis center, and get a lot of business since people know you are good enough to be on the B team, which itself is insanely difficult.

never fail to impress me with your posts
 
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I still don't know if you are trying to compliment me, or just saying my posts tend to be way too long and outrageous.... sigh
 

Dan

says editing a big TTD Team episode... stay tuned 👀

Dan

says editing a big TTD Team episode... stay tuned 👀
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I still don't know if you are trying to compliment me, or just saying my posts tend to be way too long and outrageous.... sigh

Scyalia24 i think your the best poster on this forum, you are well and truely knowledgeable about tt.. its incredible and much appreciated..

Your totally right,, the B team players will train with the A team and help them but they will never just make the national squad. However, as you say yes they have the china super league for a wage, and they can play in european tournaments abroad and leagues for income.

My coach in Bristol for 2 years was Jing Wei, he was in B team of the Junoir China squad and had played Ma long ect. But he said the gap between him and Ma long when they were 12 was the same level and he could beat him. But he said, Ma Long got so much attention as his father and others allowed him to practice with the senior members of the China squad. So therefore Ma Long excelled and stuck in the A team.

Jing Wei is now a top university coach in China coaching the younger generation.. TT is a life out there and i guess they all get to find there place at the end of the road.

200 million or so players play out there, the odds are difficult :)

As Marcos Madrid mentioned... Xu Xin got an extra hour practice a night with the elite coaches as they saw him as the potential. As they say, go the extra mile over everyone else :) Read the interview HERE
 
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