Zhuang Zedong
Zhuang Zedong (Chinese庄 则 栋/庄 则 栋, Pinyin Zhuang Zedong, W.-G. Chuang Tse -Tung; born August 25, 1940, in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, † February 10, 2013 in Beijing) was a Chinese table tennis player and eight -time world champion.
Career as a table tennis player
The son of a doctor came in 1955, with 14 years, Beijing's " Palace of Culture for Children" at, where table tennis was taught. A year later he won a youth tournament, 1957, he was Chinese champion in mixed doubles. In 1958 he was first appointed to the national team, competing against Hungary. He persuaded by his victory over the Hungarian Champion and Vice European Champion [ [ Elemér Gyetvai ] ].
Zhuang Zedong won from 1964 to 1966 three times the Chinese national championship in singles. In 1966, he also brought with Li Chuang -kuang the title in doubles.
From 1961-1971 Zhuang Zedong took part in four World Cups. Three times in a row he was world champion in singles, namely 1961, 1963 and 1965. 1965 he also won in doubles with Xu Yinsheng. Silver in the double he got 1963 ( with Xu Yinsheng ) and 1971 ( with Liang Geliang ). In all four World Cups - 1961, 1963, 1965 and 1971 - he was team champion with China.
Play
Zhuang Zedong played in the Chinese penholder style with pimple-out lining. He played the "classical" Chinese table tennis school of the 1960s - waiving topspin he scored directly with an extremely hard shot.
End of career
From 1974 to 1976, Zhuang Zedong Minister of Sport of China. In the 1971 World Cup, he became friends with the American player Glenn Cowan and so laid the foundation for the ping - pong diplomacy, which initiated diplomatic contacts between American and Chinese politicians.
After the end of the Cultural Revolution he was accused of political proximity to the Gang of Four. Therefore, he was arrested in 1976 and imprisoned for four years in prison. Messages spoke of a suicide attempt.
Since 1984, Zhuang Zedong worked as a trainer in Beijing.
Private
Zhuang Zedong was married since 1987 with the Japanese Sasaki Atsuko (佐 々 木 敦 子). He died from the effects of cancer diagnosed in 2008 in a Beijing hospital.
Results from the ITTF database
Source