OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Sad news.

https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Table-Tenni ... h-Zhang-Li

https://www.ittf.com/2019/02/17/standin ... sses-away/

Zhang Li, in the 1970's, won more international gold medals for China than any Chinese athletes did in any sports. If there is one TT player who should be on the ITTF Hall of Fame list, it would be Zhang Li.

Indeed quite sad news. She was one of the kindest coaches I have ever had the pleasure of training with. Always upbeat, and always sharing great wisdom. She will be dearly missed.

Many years ago, a friend of Zhang Li took his 5 year old son along and visited Zhang Li. This little boy was so inspired when he saw all the TT medals in the house. He fell in love with TT. Zhang Li later taught him some TT skills, like the high toss serve.
This boy grew up to be a great TT player and coach: Liu Guoliang.

..but a few medals eluded her because of 'Friendship play', most notoriously the World Championships of 1975 and 1977 where she should have been the champion but was instructed to allow Pak Yung Sun of North Korea (in both finals) to win. In that era she was far and away the world's best female player.

Some said Zhang Li was ordered to lose to teammate Hu Yulan in the 1973 Worlds women's semi-final. Zhang Li got a bronze medal and Hu went on to become the Worlds women's singles champion. That would make it 3 singles titles she was ordered to give up.
It is sad that the best female player in the 1970's never won a world championship title in singles.