Table tennis star Wang Chuqin stresses importance of positive attitude, mindset during sporting events

Chinese table tennis player Wang Chuqin shared the course of his struggles from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to the World Table Tennis Championships in Doha, claiming that keeping a positive attitude and mindset are the key factors in achieving victory in competition.

The rising star is known for his strong performance at the World Table Tennis Championships in Doha, Qatar.

In the event, he defeated Brazil's Hugo Calderano 4-1 as he won his first men's singles title. Also, Olympic champions Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha defeated Japan 3-1 to win their third straight mixed doubles title.

During a recent interview in Beijing, Wang likens the entire competition to a marathon, and each day's matches to sprints.

"I think it's like a marathon, and it's one that requires you to maintain a high focus continuously. It's not just about persevering, but about giving it your all to win, to strive for victory. In this kind of marathon, you must get through each day to reach the next. However, the next day is the same, and you have to give it your all to strive for victory, and to survive," he said.

"I believe that your beliefs can shape your thoughts and spirit. Your state of mind and attitude today depend on the strength of your own convictions. If you have aspirations and goals for this competition, you may not feel tired at all," he said.

For Wang, the last marathon-like competition was the 2024 Paris Olympics held 10 months ago.

On July 30, 2024, when Wang put his paddle aside on the floor in order to hold the national flag for celebration after the mixed doubles final of the Paris Olympics, a group of photographers rushed to the front to capture the moment and inadvertently stepped on and broke his paddle. The table tennis player had to change his racket and lost 4-2 in the round of 32 to Sweden's Truls Moregard.

In fact, aside from the broken paddle, injuries also plagued Wang at the Olympics. Due to over-training, he suffered rotator cuff injury that made it difficult for him to even raise and move his arms.

Reflecting on the Paris Olympics, he still considers the unexpected emergency to be a very painful experience in his professional career.

"Looking back on that experience, I feel that I'd never want to go through it again. If I had to face it now, I still think it would be very difficult. A person's mood, mindset, and overall state are truly important, which can shape your understanding and perspective on things, as well as the development tendency," he said.

"I think that experience helped me gradually understand myself better. Now, looking back at the competition, I would wonder if I had been in perfect condition at that time, including my paddle and arms, would I really have been able to win the Olympics? I'm still not very sure about that," he said.

After the Paris Olympics, Wang had been in the doldrums for over half a year. However, he never lost heart despite repeated setbacks.

"In the end, I asked myself whether I still had an attachment to table tennis. The answer is yes -- I am attached to table tennis, I'm unwilling to give up, and I don't want to let go. I still want to see what I can achieve, especially since I'm still young. I don't want to concede defeat just like that," he said.

Table tennis star Wang Chuqin stresses importance of positive attitude, mindset during sporting events

China closed 2025 with a record of 92 space launches and major breakthroughs were made in manned space launches, deep space exploration and commercial launches, according to the China National Space Administration.

"In 2025, we created a new launch record, sending more than 300 satellites into planned orbits. Both the number of launches and the number of payloads placed in orbit have achieved qualitative leapfrog development," said Zhu Haiyang, an engineer with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

In 2025, the Shenzhou-20 crew spent 204 days in orbit, setting a new record for the longest single mission duration in the history of China's manned space program. Following the Shenzhou-20, the Shenzhou-21 achieved the fastest rendezvous and docking in the history of the Shenzhou mission in just three hours and a half.

Facing an unexpected technical situation with the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, China immediately activated emergency plans. Within 16 days, a series of maneuvers were accomplished including the launch of the Shenzhou-22 backup vehicle, presenting a "textbook model" for the international space community in effectively responding to unexpected emergencies.

In deep space exploration, the Tianwen-2 probe embarked on its journey for China's first asteroid exploration and sample-return mission in 2025.

Last year also saw intensive launch activities from multiple commercial rocket types, injecting strong momentum into the country's commercial space development.

As China has kicked off the first year of its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), a new blueprint for the country's space program is unfolding. Multiple tests are planned in preparation for future lunar exploration, as Chang'e-7 lunar probe is scheduled to be launched for the lunar south pole to search for evidence of water ice. The industry is also preparing for the maiden flights of several new rocket types, which will include the challenges to test rocket recovery and reusability technologies.

China closes 2025 with record 92 space launches

China closes 2025 with record 92 space launches