A Quiet International Farewell in 2006 to Living Legends of Table Tennis

The emotional speech by American tennis star André Agassi, after he had lost to Germany’s Benjamin Becker in the third round of the Men’s Singles event at the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadow on 3rd September, was shown repeatedly on television screens in the past week, as celebrities were asked to nominate their sporting moment of 2006.

André Agassi departed in a blaze of publicity; in table tennis two stars whose successes are more than comparable with those of the tennis star also bid farewell. Jan-Ove Waldner and Kong Linghui.

They left the international scene quietly, without hype, they departed the international cauldron of sport.

You can never say never but it is most unlikely that we will ever see these two legends of table tennis compete for their respective countries on the international stage again. No doubt if duty calls they will respond but for Jan-Ove Waldner playing for a prestigious club in a national league would seem to be his immediate future, whilst for Kong Linghui assisting Shi Zhihao with the Chinese women’s team would appear to be his destination.

Genius
Waldner, the genius, if a thousand ways of winning a point at table tennis exist then the super Swede would find one thousand and one. He ended the run of Chinese success in Men’s Singles events at World Championships and in so doing he brought to an end success for the penhold close to the table fast attacking style of play that used one side of the racket only.

Adopting the traditional Chinese style of play Guo Yuehua had won in 1981 and 1983, whilst Jiang Jialiang succeeded in 1985 and 1987; in 1989 the run of success came to an end. Waldner beat Jiang Jialing and it was time for a Chinese re-think.

Technology
It was clear that as technology advanced, rackets became faster and faster that new techniques were needed in the Chinese camp. It was time to let a thousand flowers blossom. Never again would the Chinese rely on just one style of play to bring success.

In order to combat the growing dominance of European men on the international scene a new breed of player emerged, the leader of that breed was Kong Linghui. Following Jan-Ove Waldner’s success at the World Championships, Jörgen Persson won in 1991 and Jean-Philippe Gatien in 1993; however, in Tianjin in 1995 the name on the St Bride Vase was Kong Linghui.

New Era
Alongside Liu Guoliang, who had brought a new ingredient to the penhold style of play by using the reverse side of the racket, a new era for Chinese table tennis had begun.

Kong Linghui, in the eyes of some experts was a copy of Jan-Ove Waldner, if anyone could be a copy of the European star, he was a very good copy but surely he was Kong Linghui in his own right, not a mimic of anyone.

Unequalled
The titles won by Jan-Ove Waldner and Kong Linghui are arguably unequalled. In Men’s Singles events Jan-Ove Waldner and Kong Linghui have both been crowned Olympic champion, World champion, World Cup winner and continental champion. No other male player has achieved that feat.

Furthermore, for Kong Linghui you can add one more. He has the full house; in 1995 he won the Men’s Singles title at the inaugural ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals, an accolade that always eluded Waldner. Kong Linghui is the only male player ever to have won all five.

You Decide
Arguing who was the greater and as to whether they were the greatest of all time, I leave to you but both have inscribed a special place in the history books of table tennis and both have still a great deal to offer the sport.

Posted 4th January 2007