Rumors of Qin Zhijian being removed from national table tennis team post are false. The normal adjustment is to reduce his burden, letting him focus on training and 2028 Olympics prep, and he's working for the upcoming Sep Team Worlds now.
As soon as news broke that Qin Zhijian would be stepping down from his key position with the national team, it quickly caused a stir in the sports community.
Numerous related rumors immediately began circulating
online, with many claiming with absolute certainty that he had been dismissed by the authorities, and various accounts were spread with great conviction.
The
Chinese Table Tennis Association had previously issued an official notice clarifying that this adjustment is part of normal operational changes, and that Qin Zhijian will simply no longer be involved in the work of the Los Angeles Olympic Games preparation team. Preparations for this organizational restructuring began early this year and were not a last-minute decision.
Previously, Qin Zhijian had assumed multiple key responsibilities within the team, covering areas such as competition coordination, technical guidance, and physical conditioning. He had long been working at full capacity around the clock. His withdrawal from the Olympic preparation roster is essentially intended to lighten his workload, allowing him to focus more of his energy on coordinating first-team training.
From 2017, when he took the helm of the Chinese men’s table tennis team, through 2022, he was deeply immersed in the training hall for five full years, during which time he never took a full vacation.In early 2026, he returned to his coaching role, shifting his focus to preparations for the 2028 Olympics. He has been coaching alongside Fan Zhendong for nine years, witnessing the entire journey of Fan’s growth from a young, inexperienced player to a top-tier athlete standing at the pinnacle of the world table tennis scene.
It’s inevitable to encounter unexpected job reassignments during your
career. There’s no need to panic; in fact, lightening your workload can free up energy to take on more critical responsibilities. As long as your professional skills are solid, no job change will undermine the foundation of your career development.
With the
September World Table Tennis Championships team event fast approaching—a key opening event in the Chinese national table tennis team’s new cycle—Qin Zhijian has already returned to his familiar training facility to get to work. He continues to use the same water cup he’s had for the past three years, and he plans to steadily move forward with his coaching responsibilities according to his established plan.
