In a Spin: How ‘Fan Circle’ Culture is Impacting Table Tennis

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For high-profile players of China’s national sport, diehard supporters are proving to be a blessing and a curse. By Beijing Youth Daily Editor’s note: On Aug. 3, Chinese table tennis players Chen Meng and Sun Yingsha faced off in the final match of the women’s singles event at the Paris Olympics. Chen won 4-2, taking home the gold medal. Although the two are compatriots, Chinese spectators overwhelmingly cheered for Sun during the match, with some even jeering Chen, prompting a foreign journalist to ask why this was the case at a post-match news conference. This article, first published in Beijing Youth Daily, goes some way to answer that question. Wang Chuqin, the men’s world No. 1 table tennis player, appeared on television screens around the globe this month as he triumphed alongside partner Sun Yingsha in the mixed doubles at the Paris Olympic Games. He found himself in the public eye last fall, too, but for a very different reason. “Stay away from me! … Stop filming ………………………………