Ma Long Hits Main Stream Media Due to Alcohol Intake!?

Over the last few days various news stations including the likes of media giants Daily Mail, news.com.au, thedrinkbusiness.com have all written articles about how Ma Long's success is due to excessive alcohol intake! Has this news gone to far? As cited by Matt Hetherington, ' this is a terrible ad for table tennis'. Read more below...

World Number 1 Ma Long - Photo: ITTF Flickr

With the Rio Olympics fast approaching, the only real bit of main stream news table tennis seems to be getting is the fact that "Ma Long drinks to table tennis glory". Last week Liu Guoliang quoted to the Chinese Media that, "One thing Ma Long does when the pressure gets very high is to go to a bar and grab a drink." News reports across the world have took this quite literally expressing Ma Long's secret weapon and sports performance enhancement is alcohol, linking closely to the game 'beer pong'.

The other important element Liu added to help Ma Long relax his nerves was general chit-chat. Moderation in drinking was key to help make Ma Long relax according to reports.

Examples of some article headlines:

- Chinese Table Tennis Star Ma Long Says Alcohol Is His Secret 'Weapon'
- Beer pong -- China's Ma drinks to table tennis glory
- Table Tennis’ number one player reveals alcohol as his secret weapon

Ma Long and arch rival Zhang Jike (reigning Olympic champion) are representing Team CHINA as the number 1 and 2 seeds in Rio. Zhang Jike will attempt to defend the title and Ma Long will look to capture the title.

Ma has been selected for both the singles and team events in Rio, alongside compatriot and London gold medallist Zhang Jike, whom he will attempt to prevent becoming the first man to defend an Olympic table tennis singles title.

China's head coach Liu Guoliang expressed, "I think Ma Long goes into Rio as favorite, it is important we focus on his mental patterns throughout.

Is this a terrible ad for the sport. Or is any news, good news?

Elsewhere, there was some other viral news in the table tennis world yesterday after Martin Gunn's backshot went viral across the media stations with one channel in particular Sports Bible promoting the shot which has been viewed by 800,000 people!

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[Askan]

These are bullshitnews. Liu jokes and the hole world is upset? The only guys who drank too much are these reporters.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Come on. This is not a story.

Perhaps the way it was worded was not intelligent. But a guy who has a beer to cut the edge on his nerves is not doing anything that is news worthy.

Now David Wells, he was a good old boy. When he pitched for the Yankees there were countless times where he was arrested, drunk in barroom brawls. There were also plenty of times where he was clearly under the influence while on the mound. But nobody gave him a hard time because he pitched some of his best games while intoxicated.

But, come on. Ma Long has probably never had as much in his life as David Wells had before anyone one of his drunken bar brawls.


Sent from Deep Space by Abacus

 

[TT4Life]

oh maybe its another way to distract him from Rio ? those are the media jobs to do that

 

[TTFrenzy]

jesus seriously we should all stop reproducing this crap. he is not an alcoholic he just drinks a bit to relax that is all, end of story. Nothing special and I woulnd even comment on the situation but people seem to make a big fuss out of nothing

This whole beer thing is no big news and its not even a recent event or a recent different approach from ML in fact it goes back to 2010 as far as I am concerned

 

[TT_Rogue]

nobody with a brain believes such a thing so i dont get the excitement. i just can say every publicity is a good publicity. perhaps tons of people with stream into the stadium to see the drunken master ma long beat the shit out of the rest of the world

 

[Archosaurus]

"Excessive alcohol intake"