Ma Long Win's China's Biggest Sporting Award!

Pictures from the night on my Instagram profile. Ding Ning went with Ma Long.

Congrats Captain Ma Long for the prestige award

Congrats Captain! Anyone know which other athletes Ma Long was up against?

Congratulations!

TTHopeful said:

Congrats Captain! Anyone know which other athletes Ma Long was up against?

Click to expand...

i just know one, chen long from badminton sport

Form Janus770

Congrats to the Captain! Well deserved.

Translation of interview of Ma Long after winning the award.

Ma Long: First, I am very happy to win this award. I was also nominated for this award last year, but I think this year is more important, because this year is Olympic year. I am also grateful to the organizing committee for the affirmation to my past year. It’s been seven years that table tennis team hasn’t won the award. I am very lucky to win this award for table tennis team. I have to thank to many people, but today here, I want to thank to all the fans.

Thanks for knowing me through Olympics. I am so happy to become your example and give you guys energy in work and life. I am also happy that you always support me and encourage me when I meet with difficulties, which moves me very much. There’s still a long way to go in the future. Let’s work hard together to be our best. Gratitude and cherish. Thank you.

Host: Table tennis is hailed as national sports, but people question about its future development and influence. But after Rio Olympics, you, Coach Liu, Zhang Jike and Ding Ning became online celebrities. What happened to make this team has this strong social influence?

Ma Long: I think the most important is that Olympics let more people know more about table tennis. There might be kind of misunderstanding that it’s easy for Chinese table tennis team to win a championship and there are no competitors in the world. However, through Rio Olympics, people saw that we also meet with difficulties during the matches, facing with strong competitors, and they also saw our efforts and hard work.

Ma Long: I think the most important is that Olympics let more people know more about table tennis. There might be kind of misunderstanding that it’s easy for Chinese table tennis team to win a championship and there are no competitors in the world. However, through Rio Olympics, people saw that we also meet with difficulties during the matches, facing with strong competitors, and they also saw our efforts and hard work.

I hope this will help more people start playing table tennis.