BEIJING - World table tennis ruling body Saturday announced the replacement of Wang Nan by new generation Li Xiaoxia for September's women's World Cup, again prompting the speculation about the Chinese veteran's possible retirement after the upcoming Olympic Games on home soil.
Wang Nan [Xinhua] |
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) competition committee urged participants to the September 6-8 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur to complete the entry form while mentioning that China's Wang Nan declined her participation and is replaced by world No. 3 Li Xiaoxia, the next eligible world ranked player.
Sixteen women paddlers will compete in the annual women's World Cup, which should include the defending champion, continental winners of the previous year, the current top six paddlers of the world and the wild cards by the host and the ITTF.
Wang, the 2007 World Cup holder who turns 30 in October, has long been rumored to play her last Olympic tournament here on August 13-23 after coming out the most-winning woman in table tennis history with 23 world titles in her 23-year career.
"I've been expecting a happy ending for years," said Wang, a "Grand Slam" winner of Olympic Games, world championships and World Cup, right after she secured the berth to the Beijing Olympics last March in Hong Kong.
Wang does not care how many medals in prospect but only to stand in the field of the Beijing Olympic Games at the Beijing Univercity Gymnasium.
"To compete in the Olympics on home soil is the common wish of every Chinese athlete. That's a rare chance that people other than sportsmen may not fully understand," added the veteran, who freshed the gold medal record previously held by all-time great Deng Yaping.
She had declared last November to retire after the Beijing Olympics, the third for the 2000 Sydney champion of both women's singles and doubles events, if qualified.
"I set the Beijing Olympic Games an ultimate for my retirement," said Wang nine months ago.