Table tennis Grand Slam winner Zhang JK to train under new coach
                 Source: Xinhua | 2017-04-07 14:43:16 | Editor: huaxia

Zhang Jike and his coach Xiao Zhan (Right) at the trials for 2015 World Table Tennis Championships in Suzhou on Feb. 6, 2015. (Xinhua/Tao Xiyi)

BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Table tennis Olympic and world champion Zhang Jike is set to train under a new coach after the Chinese national team announced Thursday to make the most changes in a decade to its coaching staff.

Having worked with the Grand Slam winner for eight straight years, Zhang's previous coach Xiao Zhan will turn to train the Chinese women's team, leaving the injury-hit 29-year-old further unsettled.

Zhang, who had many reasons to thank Xiao for helping him go from nobody to somebody at the star-studded Chinese team, had his left foot wrenched at the end of last year while shooting for a television show.

He was forced out of last February's Qater Open before pulling out from the Chinese team's trials for the World Table Tennis Championships, scheduled to be held in Dusseldorf, Germany in May, due to a foot injury.

Xiao, 49, has been a high-level table tennis coach for 25 years, most of which were spent in provincial and national team. With Xiao's help, Zhang set a record of collecting titles of Olympic Games, world championships and World Cup in just 445 days.

Xiao helped Zhang bounce back after the Shandong native lost motivation in post-London Olympic Games period.

"My sole objective as Zhang Jike's coach is to help him become a better player as well as a better person," said Xiao when he addressed during the national team's auditions of coaching posts a week ago.

"He's a talented paddler with a big heart. I always have confidence in him," added Xiao.

Now the former world No. 1 faces a tough test in the upcoming Asian championships, set to start this weekend at Wuxi, East China, before trying his luck in Dusseldorf.

Xiao was not the only one set to change tracks, as retired Olympic gold medalist Ma Lin and world champion Wang Hao have both earned their posts as coaches in the national team.

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Table tennis Grand Slam winner Zhang JK to train under new coach

Source: Xinhua 2017-04-07 14:43:16

Zhang Jike and his coach Xiao Zhan (Right) at the trials for 2015 World Table Tennis Championships in Suzhou on Feb. 6, 2015. (Xinhua/Tao Xiyi)

BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Table tennis Olympic and world champion Zhang Jike is set to train under a new coach after the Chinese national team announced Thursday to make the most changes in a decade to its coaching staff.

Having worked with the Grand Slam winner for eight straight years, Zhang's previous coach Xiao Zhan will turn to train the Chinese women's team, leaving the injury-hit 29-year-old further unsettled.

Zhang, who had many reasons to thank Xiao for helping him go from nobody to somebody at the star-studded Chinese team, had his left foot wrenched at the end of last year while shooting for a television show.

He was forced out of last February's Qater Open before pulling out from the Chinese team's trials for the World Table Tennis Championships, scheduled to be held in Dusseldorf, Germany in May, due to a foot injury.

Xiao, 49, has been a high-level table tennis coach for 25 years, most of which were spent in provincial and national team. With Xiao's help, Zhang set a record of collecting titles of Olympic Games, world championships and World Cup in just 445 days.

Xiao helped Zhang bounce back after the Shandong native lost motivation in post-London Olympic Games period.

"My sole objective as Zhang Jike's coach is to help him become a better player as well as a better person," said Xiao when he addressed during the national team's auditions of coaching posts a week ago.

"He's a talented paddler with a big heart. I always have confidence in him," added Xiao.

Now the former world No. 1 faces a tough test in the upcoming Asian championships, set to start this weekend at Wuxi, East China, before trying his luck in Dusseldorf.

Xiao was not the only one set to change tracks, as retired Olympic gold medalist Ma Lin and world champion Wang Hao have both earned their posts as coaches in the national team.

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