Chapter 311: Conceal Strength in Each Final Match
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The title "Eternal Second" was obviously not a term of commendation. Of course, only a top-notch player in the world could earn the title of "Eternal Second" in the event of the table tennis. Achieving this title was still a mission impossible for the mediocre players.
After hearing what Shuang Pang said, Dai Li also couldn't help laughing.
Shuang Pang ranked the second in the world after Anshan Wang, who had been the first in the world for three consecutive years. Shuang Pang's second place was also very stable, since his rank hadn't changed since he became second place more than a year ago.
Also, Shuang Pang's match records over the last two years could sufficiently prove his identity as the second player in the world. For more than two years, Shuang Pang had won more than ten second places in matches of different levels. Of course, he also won some championships; however, the matches in which he won the second place were more influential.
Just like the second places in the National Games, the Asian Cup, the World Table Tennis Championship, and the final of the annual ITTF Pro Tour, etc., it was correct to say Shuang Pang concealed his strength in each final match in recent years. Therefore, his title of the "Eternal Second" was not surprising.
When Shuang Pang was making his webcast, the audiences and commentators always ridiculed Shuang Pang with the title of the "Eternal Second," which quenched the Shuang Pang's enthusiasm to continue his webcast.
The thing the network anchors dreaded most was someone who deliberately made a barrage of inflammatory or disputed remarks. Even veteran anchors might be thrown into confusion by those "rhythm-creators," let alone Shuang Pang, who was not a professional network anchor but a professional athlete who was under 20. A screenful of the "Eternal Second" would lead to Shuang Pang having a breakdown.
Also because of this, Shuang Pang didn't even finish eight hours of webcast last month.
Dai Li knew that Shuang Pang was unlikely to get the second place in each final match on the ground of his strength. Although he was not as strong as Anshan Wang, the matches that had pitted Shuang Pang against Anshan Wang could be counted with one hand; therefore, he was also defeated by other players of the national team, like Pengfei Cui and Xiangxian Zuo, etc.
For most important table tennis events, the players of the national team could always enter the final match, and were strong enough to win the championship. Sometimes a lucky ball could decide the final result of the match.
Since it was not a lack of strength which caused Shuang Pang's title of the "Eternal Second," it had to be caused by a psychological problem.
Is it possible that Shuang Pang once had setbacks in a final match, which has formed a psychological shadow in him and is still influencing his performance in final matches? Dai Li couldn't help remembering Shuang Pang's performance in recent final matches.
After entering the National Table Tennis Team, Dai Li had watched all the important events that players of the national team participated in. He also discussed the matches with other coaches in the team. Of course, the so-called discussions were more of other coaches' commentaries with Dai Li as an audience. Dai Li's expertise in table tennis was no match for that of the executing coaches.
"Shuang Pang, don't you think you give up too early in the final match?" Dai Li asked. "Especially when you are playing your teammates, it seems like you don't play seriously when your teammate is taking a lead."
Shuang Pang scratched his head. "I don't? It couldn't be. I treat each ball seriously."
Dai Li shook his head. "I am just a physical trainer and not a professional table tennis coach. The feeling I got could also be sensed by many people."
Shuang Pang was silent, while Dai Li continued to say, "Before the final match, you could always choose the playing style and tactics reasonably, and could strive for the victory actively, which would give the audience a feeling that you were quite surefooted, right?"
"However, during the final match, I felt your playing was too rigid, without flexibility. Your decisions for the critical balls were also not reasonable. Sometimes you were too anxious for success and lost patience. It seemed you didn't think calmly about your next moves, which gave me a feeling that you were accomplishing a task."
"Coach Li, you've got me there. I do have this kind of feeling," Shuang Pang said suddenly. "Most of the time, when I entered the final match and found my opponent was also a teammate of the national team, I felt like my mission was accomplished. Sometimes I even felt that the gold medal had been put in the pocket of the national team; whether I achieved the championship or second place was not too important for me."
"Why could you have such a feeling?" Dai Li asked.
"I don't know." Shuang Pang shook his head.
"Don't you want to win in your heart?" Dai Li continued to ask.
"Of course I want to win!" Shuang Pang nodded seriously. "I aim for victory in the matches."
"But your performance in the final match gave me the feeling that your desire to win was not that strong." Dai Li said.
Shuang Pang hesitated a bit, and finally said, "Maybe! In truth, I don't have a lot of fun playing table tennis."
Dai Li opened his eyes wide with amazement. The most gifted player in the national team, who had the incredible grade S+ gift and was even decided as the leader of the next generation of players in the men's national team, had just said that he didn't enjoy playing table tennis! It was hard for Dai Li to imagine that a guy who couldn't enjoy table tennis could achieve such a high competence in the table tennis events.
"You should have started learning table tennis when you were very young, right?" Dai Li asked.
Shuang Pang nodded. "I started to practice table tennis when I was 6. In my hometown, there is an elementary school which focuses on the table tennis event. All students who learned to play table tennis could enjoy a tuition waiver. My parents are ordinary workers, so my family was not well-off. Therefore, my parents sent me to that school to learn to play table tennis so that they could save some money in my tuition."
Shuang Pang continued to explain his history with table tennis. His experience was almost the same as other players of the national team—his gift for table tennis was discovered, so he was admitted to the city-level sports school, and then he entered the city team and the provincial team.
When Shuang Pang was 14, he was admitted to the national team and he stood out conspicuously soon. Then he entered the first team of the national team, and had good results in the selective trials, so he participated in the World Table Tennis Championships. His performance in other international events was also very remarkable. His continuous impressive achievements allowed him to enter the top 3 in the world when he was 18.
After hearing Shuang Pang's explanation of his past, Dai Li furrowed his brows. He realized that Shuang Pang's engagement in table tennis was more like squeezing a square peg into a round hole.
Dai Li suddenly interrupted Shuang Pang. "Are you happy when you are playing table tennis?"
"Happy?" Shuang Pang was a little dazed, for no one had asked a question like that before.
Dai Li said, "To be a professional athlete of an event, the first requirement is to enjoy it. So, my question is, do you feel happy when you are playing table tennis?"
Dai Li waited for an answer, but Shuang Pang had fallen silent.
After a long while, Shuang Pang finally said, "I don't know. I have never thought about it."
"Then that is the root of your problem. Your current achievements were gained through your gift and efforts. Your gift in table tennis is better than 99.99% of people, and your efforts in the table tennis also outweigh that of most athletes. You have earned the reward you deserve."
"But you didn't enjoy it. You have been struggling for more than 10 years, and table tennis will also be the battlefield where you will fight hard in the coming decades. What are you are fighting for with all your might?"
"I am fighting for our country, of course!" Shuang Pang blurted out.
"No need to tell me. This is the training base of the National Table Tennis Team, everyone here is fighting for our country." Dai Li shook his head. "But that is not the only answer, and also not the answer you are seeking."
"For myself?" Shuang Pang looked at Dai Li with puzzlement, then he said, "Coach Gu used to tell me that selecting this path means I will treat table tennis as my lifelong career."
"Yes. For you, table tennis is just a career, or a job." Dai Li shook his head slightly. "It is not enough, at least for you."
"I still don't understand you." Shuang Pang also shook his head.
However, Dai Li had an idea. He changed the topic and said, "Tomorrow is the weekend, how about hiking with me in the mountains? It might be helpful for you to enjoy some natural scenery."