Cheng Mingzhi. (Provided by the Athletic Department)
[Reporter Nian Miaoyun/Report from Taipei] "Four Dynasties Veteran" Cheng Mingzhi fought hard in 4 games for the C4-5 men's singles gold medal match at the Nagoya Yapa Sports Table Tennis Games today, and lost 1:3 to the 21-year-old Chinese rising star Peng Zheng, ranked fourth in the world. Yang, accepted the silver medal; as for Lin Junzheng, who debuted at the C10 level, he faced Japanese master Masahiro Zhoushan in the gold medal match and fought hard for 3 games, losing 0:3 and both won the silver medal. However, he also set a personal best result in men's singles at the Asia Pacific Games.
The 47-year-old veteran Cheng Mingzhi has won 1 silver and 4 bronze medals at the Asian Games in Incheon, Jakarta and Hangzhou. This year's men's singles group stage defeated players from Macau and Indonesia, and then defeated Thai players in the top 8 and top 4, including Wanchai Chaiwut in the top 4 who defeated Chaiwu in straight sets to advance to the final. In the gold medal match, facing Peng Zhengyang, who had played against him once before, Cheng Mingzhi faced a test at the beginning, losing two consecutive games at 6:11 and 9:11. In the third game, he gave it a try and regained a victory at 11:7. However, he failed to continue the reversal momentum in the fourth game and gave up at 7:11. He won the silver medal with a game score of 1:3.
After the game, Cheng Mingzhi said frankly that his performance in the final was not 50% of his usual level, and his concentration was not maintained very well. "In the third game, I won a victory, but I didn't change my strategy in particular, because I had already lost two games, so I just gave it a try." Although there were some flaws in not winning the gold medal, he believed that his opponent was only in his early 20s and had a comprehensive game, so the result was acceptable. After the singles competition, Cheng Mingzhi will next move to doubles. In addition to teaming up with Ye Jinwei in the men's doubles, he will also partner with Lin Yanying in the mixed doubles. He will try his best to play every game in the following matches.
C10 men's singles player Lin Junzheng advanced to the top 8 of the Asian Parnassim in a thrilling manner by finishing second in his group, and defeated Thailand's powerful opponents one after another. After being tied at 2:2 in the semifinals, he withstood the pressure in the decisive game. For the first time in his career, he defeated the previous gold medalist and Parnassian silver medalist Lian Hao of China, all the way to the gold medal match.
In the gold medal match, facing the landowner Mahiro Zhoushan, who had only won 1 victory in 5 or 6 games in the past, Lin Junzheng once led 8:4 in the first game, but was reversed at the end of the game due to more ideas and gave up at 13:15. After losing at 6:11 in the second game, he fell behind at 8:10 in the third game and chased the score to 11:11. Unfortunately, he failed to grasp the key points and finally lost at 11:13.
"This silver medal is really unexpected. The original goal was just to have a card." Lin Junzheng said after the game that he could not beat his young opponent if he was too fast or could outrun his young opponent. His strategy was to rely on the first three serves and the rhythm changes of long rubber particles to fight. Thinking too much and not taking decisive shots when leading in the first game was the most fatal. In the third game to tie, it was a pity that the landlord was noisy and could not hear the coach's instructions clearly.
When talking about who he would like to dedicate this career-high silver medal to, Lin Junzheng said with a smile that the first priority is to his wife and young daughter. At the same time, he is also particularly grateful to the team behind him for their full support. "There are so many people to thank, and I can't even finish them! This time, I would like to especially thank the sports department, the Chinese Paralympics Federation (Paraling Association) and the medical team of the delegation. This is really a huge backing and support for our athletes."
In addition, Lin Junzheng also pointed out that the logistical care at the relay station is even more meticulous. Every day he can eat familiar hometown flavors such as teriyaki chicken legs and eel rice, which makes him say that "it doesn't feel like going abroad at all." The abundant logistical supplies and care are the greatest confidence for him to fight without any worries on the court.
Although he only participated in men's singles this year, Lin Junzheng is still satisfied with his overall performance. He not only broke through himself and achieved the best result in his career, but also injected great confidence into future international competitions.
Lin Junzhen. (Provided by the Athletic Department)
