Record-breaker Ma Long leads Beijing to National Games table tennis team gold
Victory over Shanghai sees the veteran win his fifth gold medal in his sixth appearance at the multi-sport event
Ma Long’s reign as the best table tennis player in China may be coming to an end, but he will go out a winner after Beijing grabbed the National Games men’s team title in Macau on Thursday.
A 3-1 victory over Shanghai at the Galaxy Arena saw Ma become the only player in the history of the Games to win gold medals in all four men’s table tennis events.
It was Ma’s fifth gold medal in his sixth appearance at the multi-sport event. He had previously won two gold medals in men’s singles and one each in doubles and mixed doubles.
Victory denied Fan Zhendong, Ma’s heir, a team gold, although the singles champion did rack up another win over rival Wang Chuqin in their head to head.
Earlier in the day, Guangdong cruised past Heilongjiang 3-0 to take the team bronze.