Ma Long's think tank for 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games - Coaches Zhang Lei and Qin Zhijian
On Aug 15, Beijing Morning Post reported that Coach Zhang Lei invited Coach Qin Zhijian to visit Team Beijing training center and discussed the plan to prepare Ma Long for 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Last week, Beijing Administration of Sports announced that Coach Zhang Lei is no longer Chair of Beijing Table Tennis and Badminton Administration Center. Coach Zhang Lei told Beijing Morning Post that he resigned the administrative job in order to fully devote his time as the head coach of Team Beijing. He clarified that it has nothing to do with his evaluation or the reformation of the General Administration of Sports.
Coach Qin Zhijian, former Ma Long's personal coach and former head coach of China National Team, has left China National Team for more than a year as the consequence of 2017 China Open incident. It is reported that many teams including Japan National Team, Beijing and Jiangsu (where Qin Zhijian is from) Provincial Team offered him coach position while he has not taken any yet.
During the visit to Team Beijing, Qin Zhijian told Beijing Morning Post, "Coach Zhang saw Ma Long growing up since a kid. I saw him growing from a young player to a Grand Slam winner at China National Team. Coach Zhang and I know each other for years. We discussed a lot today and hopefully we can help Ma Long from many aspects." Coach Qin said he paid attention to Ma Long's health and results during the past year, "I cared about his injuries and physical recoveries. When he played internationally, I watched sometimes, especially watched how he performed during the match." "Ma Long fulfilled his goal as Grand Slam winner at Rio Olympic Games. Now we need to determine the next goal, the extent of dedication and commitment. Ma Long has to spend some of his time and energy with his family now and we need to consider how to balance his table tennis career with personal life." Coach Qin as well as Coach Zhang shared their experiences in work-life balance with Ma Long, "Being his coach for so many years, I also talk with him about things off the court. Our minds are in sync." In terms of challenges from younger players, he thought Ma Long knows what to do. "He was challenging elder players when he was young. He understands the competition well. Most importantly, Ma Long can better himself. That's one of the keys that he can reach the height he is now."
Coach Zhang Lei told Beijing Morning Post, "2018 Asian Games will start soon, which means it is half-way of the current Olympic cycle. As provincial team coach, I have to try my best to make good use of the remaining two years. We invited Coach Qin from Jiangsu and we have the same goal - to make our contributions to Chinese Table Tennis". "First, we will work on injury prevention. Ma Long is turning 30 this year. As Coach Qin said, the biggest challenge for elder players is rehabilitation. Second, physical strengths. Current development of table tennis demands speed and power, which rely on physical strengths. In addition, his techniques and tactics cannot decline but need to improve. It is not easy for elder players. Ma Long has developed a mature system of techniques and tactics. It is harder for him to improve compared to younger players."
Ma Long will meet with two coaches after Bulgaria Open and Czech Open to discuss the preparation plan. Coach Zhang Lei said, "2019 WTTC and 2020 Olympic Games are the most important. We believe the preparation plan will help him."
