Wang Zhiliang facts for kids
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| Nationality |  China |
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| Born | 1941 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 15 September 2020 (aged 79) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Wang Zhiliang (Chinese: 王志良) was a famous Chinese table tennis player and coach. He was born in 1941 and passed away on September 15, 2020, at 79 years old. He made history at the 1963 World Table Tennis Championships. There, he and his partner, Zhang Xielin, became the first Chinese team to win a gold medal in men's doubles at a world championship event.
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Who Was Wang Zhiliang?
Wang Zhiliang was born in 1941 in a place called Xushui, which is in Hebei Province, China. He loved sports and went to the Tianjin University of Sport. In 1958, he joined the table tennis team in Tianjin. His talent was quickly noticed, and by 1961, he was chosen to join the Chinese national team. This meant he would represent his country in big competitions.
Winning Gold in Table Tennis
Wang Zhiliang's biggest achievement came in 1963. He traveled to Prague for the 1963 World Table Tennis Championships. Playing alongside his partner, Zhang Xielin, they won the gold medal in men's doubles. This was a huge moment because they were the first Chinese duo to ever win this title at the World Championships! Two years later, at the 1965 World Table Tennis Championships in Ljubljana, they won a silver medal in the same event.
From Player to Coach
After his amazing playing career, Wang Zhiliang decided to become a coach. In 1970, he became the head coach for the national women's table tennis team. Under his guidance, the Chinese women's team did incredibly well. They won three gold medals at the 1971 World Table Tennis Championships. After coaching the national team, he took on another important role. He became the deputy director of the sports committee in Tianjin city. This meant he helped manage sports activities for the whole city.
Life in Hong Kong
In 1968, Wang Zhiliang married Huang Yuhuan. She was also a talented table tennis player on the national women's team. They had two children together. Later, the family moved to Hong Kong to be with Huang's father. In Hong Kong, both Wang Zhiliang and Huang Yuhuan continued to share their love for table tennis. They worked as coaches, helping new players learn the sport.
See also
- List of table tennis players
- List of World Table Tennis Championships medalists
