Champions Convene at Training Headquarters to Plan Countermeasures: Hina Hayata and Miu Hirano Gear Up to Dominate China at Paris Olympic

It was truly a fight to the death.

In the women’s team final of the World Table Tennis Championships held in Busan, Korea, on February 24, the Japanese team won the silver medal in a close match that went all the way to the fifth and final game against China, the absolute champion of the tournament with five consecutive titles.

Hina Hayata (23) defeated Chen Mu (30), ranked No. 3 in the world, and Miu Hirano defeated Wang Geidi (27), ranked No. 2 in the world, which is a big win for the Japanese table tennis world. This is the first time in the past 10 years that Japan has won two World Championships against China,” said a sports newspaper desk reporter.

This feat was no coincidence. Hirano, a prodigy who emerged from childhood, and Hayata, a hard worker who grew into an absolute ace in the Japanese women’s table tennis world despite being a reserve at the Tokyo Olympics. It was inevitable due to the remarkable evolution of these two players. Table tennis columnist Jota Ito said.

Until now, Japanese players playing against superior Chinese players have often chosen risk-taking strategies to overturn the difference in ability, such as aiming too hard at the edge of the table or forcing a decision even though the ball is not a chance ball. This is because until now, Japanese players could not hit the ball out of the park in a normal way. This time, however, Hayata and Hirano were not at all inferior to the Chinese players in terms of speed and rotation rate.

Hirano’s evolution is particularly remarkable. Her backhand, which has been called the best in the world, is her weapon of choice, but now she has a new weapon.

She said, “In order to increase the speed of my forehand, I repeated core training and repetitive practice. Thanks to her efforts, Hirano dominated Wang not only with her backhand but also with her forehand this time, and closed out the match 3-0,” said Ito.

It is not difficult to imagine that this heated match ignited the strongest table tennis empire in the world.

Chinese table tennis officials are characterizing this tournament as a ‘real defeat. The Chinese table tennis officials are characterizing this tournament as a ‘real defeat.’ The Chinese Table Tennis Training Center immediately held a meeting that lasted several days, and there are rumors of replacements of members and even the dismissal of coaches. They will be training like mad for the Summer Olympics, putting their pride as champions on the line.

Of course, it is not only the Chinese teams that have their sights set on the Paris Olympics. Hayata, Hirano, and 15-year-old Miwa Zhang, who gained confidence at this year’s games, will be pushing themselves even harder, with an eagle eye on the world number one spot.

Considering their current strength, the Japanese team should be able to compete with the Chinese team in Paris. It is quite possible that Hayata, Hirano, and others will beat the Chinese and reach the podium in the individual competitions,” said Ito.

With the disappointment of the World Table Tennis Championships as a springboard, the two aces of the Japanese table tennis world will overwhelm the Chinese in Paris.

From the March 15, 2024 issue of FRIDAY