Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, December 1st (Reporter Zhang Han, Cao Jianjie) Liu Guoliang was interviewed by the media after he was elected as the new chairman of China Table Tennis Association on December 1st, specifically explaining the two major reform ideas mentioned in his speech, it is said that “establishing the two-way selection mechanism of coaches and athletes and establishing the athletes committee” are all to put the words “making athletes become the center” into practice.
The champion of table tennis “Grand Slam” who was born and led the team to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals as head coach and head coach pointed out in his speech after being elected, the establishment of an athlete committee within the team by the association “is a bold and beneficial attempt”, which can fully embody the preparation for Olympic Games concept of “taking athletes as the center, it is not only beneficial to mobilize the potential of athletes and give full play to their roles, but also an important channel for communication between coaching staff and athletes, and will certainly become the enrichment and supplement of team management system.
“Many well-developed international sports organizations have athlete committees,” he said in an interview after the meeting: “I considered this idea several years ago, and now the time is relatively mature, in this way, the sentence” let athletes become the center “really falls into practice.”
“The athlete’s own feelings are very important, whether in the national team or the club.” He added, “in the past, associations and centers would tell athletes more. Now they are allowed to listen to their voices more independently. We have set up our own organization. In the league, national team and future commercial development, athletes reasonably require us to serve them.”
Liu Guoliang said that the athletes Committee of the national team will take preparation for Olympic Games leading player as the main body, including the members of the first and second teams. “After the change, these jobs will be gradually promoted, allowing athletes to elect their representatives to speak out and fight for their rights and interests.”
On the idea of two-way choice of coaches and athletes, Liu Guoliang said, “This is a more humanized approach. Coaches, like athletes, have their own styles and characteristics. Athletes know their own needs and know which coaches they need when they need to break through the bottleneck at a certain stage, therefore, the two-way selection will be more harmonious than the previous assignment arrangement. Every athlete has his own voice, and the coach will also explain his coaching concept according to the needs of athletes, and we will optimize the combination more reasonably and humanely.”
As for the timetable of the two jobs, Liu Guoliang said that starting from the final of the world tour of the International Table Tennis Federation to be held in Incheon, South Korea this month, he would start running in and then organize athletes, listen to their own positioning and imagination of the future, and respect the coach’s opinions at the same time.
In addition to the two major reform ideas, he also explained his personal assumption of the substantive reform process of China Table Tennis Association in the next five years from the perspectives of strengthening the international discourse power and the transformation of the association’s own functions.