Sophie-福欢－岩语

This title attacked me first because of China, it is mainly tells a fact that a Chinese table tennis star –Wang Chen, who retired from China table tennis team in 2001 and now she is still playing in the U.S., moreover she is one of two h American table tennis players ranked high enough in the world to qualify for the Olympics this summer.

To be honest, I feel conflict very much. For one thing, I am happy for Wang Chen, she can still keep her Olympic dream. The reason for her retirement was that her age in China. However, except China, other countries do not have such kind of rules. Just like Waldner in Swenden, who had played table tennis about 40 years, but no one said because he was old, then he should retired.

For another thing, it is a pity for China; the government invests too much money to bring up such an excellent player, now she does contribution to other country, and becomes the opponent of her mother country. Maybe some of us will say, well, the mother country has deserted her, she had done enough contribution for her mother country in past years and she also devoted her best sports life to it. Now she has been free and has right to do her own chosen. What she do all depends herself. In my heart, that was the lost of excellent athlete, the failure of Chinese education system. American uses less money but pick a good fortune. At this time, I remembered another athlete, one of best volleyball players named Lang Ping, the member of China national team at the top of Chinese Volleyball time—-five successive champions. After retirement, she also left China, and now coached in Australia.

Above all, Wang Chen is not the only elite athlete china had lost, although the sadness is around me, I still give my best wishes to her, hopefully, she will fulfill her dreams. And on the other hand, I hope that our government should think over this kind of phenomena and keep the best player inboard! 

From: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/sports/othersports/22olympics.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=sports