Every fan will remember how Liang Jingkun, with his “most viewership-grabbing” style of play, steadied the Chinese men’s table tennis team twice when the outcome was uncertain.
On May 11, at the Wembley Arena in London, the Chinese men’s table tennis team defeated Japan 3-0 in the final of the World Team Championships, successfully defending their title and achieving an unprecedented 12th consecutive championship.
The 3-0 scoreline looks straightforward, but the journey was anything but.
On May 10, China’s men’s team head coach Wang Hao (second from right), players Liang Jingkun (first from left), Lin Shidong (second from left), Wang Chuqin (center), and Zhou Qihao (right) at the awards ceremony. Source: Xinhua News Agency.
Ups and downs defined the Chinese men’s team’s campaign in London. They lost to South Korea and Sweden in the group stage, and were pushed to a full five sets in the semifinals against France. They stumbled into the final, seemingly unpredictable, but ultimately shut out their opponents.
On this winding road to the title, every player faced immense challenges. Among them, 30-year-old Liang Jingkun repeatedly sent spectators’ heart rates soaring.
In both the semifinals and the final, Liang Jingkun pulled off “win two after losing two” comebacks on consecutive days. In the final against Tomokazu Harimoto, he even trailed 3-8 in the deciding set before winning eight straight points to stun both his opponent and himself.
After the huge comeback, Liang Jingkun celebrated passionately. Source: Liang Jingkun’s Weibo.
**”The Most Viewership-Grabbing” Style of Play**
Even for Chinese fans, seeing Liang Jingkun down 3-8 in the fifth set of the men’s team final on May 11, few would have predicted that the 30-year-old “Big Fatty” could rally to win 11-8. What happened from 3-8 to 11-8? First, Liang walked to the sidelines to wipe his sweat, seeming to take a little longer than usual. Then he returned to the table and won two straight points to make it 5-8. Japan sensed something and called a timeout. After the timeout, Harimoto had no answers: 6-8, 7-8… 11-8. Before some fans—and Harimoto himself—could react, the first match of the men’s team final was over. Liang had turned 0-2 into 3-2, securing a crucial and somewhat unexpected point for China.
Speaking after the match about his huge comeback, Liang said, “Honestly, I’m still a bit stunned. I’m grateful that I never gave up.”
The same script had played out in the same venue with the same player just a day earlier. In the semifinals against a surging French team, the score was tied 1-1 after two matches, and Liang’s third match became crucial. His performance shocked everyone. He lost the first two sets 3-11 and 1-11, winning just four points combined. He seemed helpless against Alexis Lebrun. On the brink of defeat in the third set, Liang fell behind after taking the lead. Coach Wang Hao called a timeout, and the broadcast captured him telling Liang, “There’s no more luck now. Just play as if you’ve already lost.”
Those words worked like magic. Liang snapped back. The third set was a grind, ending 15-13 in his favor. In the fourth set, he led 10-3 but was chased to 10-10 before winning 12-10. In the fifth set, Lebrun’s composure seemed to crumble, and he lost 2-11, handing Liang the comeback.
The sharp reversal of fortune happened twice for Liang in the semifinals and finals of the World Championships within two days. He described himself as “a bit stunned,” while fans online commented: “The first two sets make the coach crazy, the middle two make the audience crazy, and the last set makes the opponent crazy.”
**”Big Fatty” Grows Up**
Liang’s consecutive comebacks not only secured key points for the Chinese men’s team in the team event but also greatly boosted his teammates. Wang Chuqin said, “His fighting spirit relieved my pressure,” and Lin Shidong noted, “He showed the whole team what it means to have grit.”
By stepping up at such a critical moment, Liang responded to the doubts that had surfaced when the team was selected. Unlike Wang Chuqin and others who automatically qualified, Liang’s spot was determined “through collective discussion by the coaching staff, combined with opinions from qualified players and relevant experts.” Head coach Wang Hao had previously said Liang’s strengths were “rich international experience, strong stability, and reliability in key moments.”
Now 30, Liang joined the national first team back in 2014. After Ma Long gradually phased out following the 2024 Paris Olympics, Liang became an undisputed veteran. The in-form Wang Chuqin and Fan Zhendong are both younger.
Despite his experience, fans who follow Liang know he has faced difficulties. From being suspended by the Chinese Table Tennis Association to helping the team reach the top of the world, only three years have passed. In October 2022, after a grueling match against teammate Lin Gaoyuan at the WTT Champions Macau, Liang made a controversial celebration gesture by inserting his racket into his shorts. On October 25, the Chinese Table Tennis Association announced a punishment, stating that Liang’s “inappropriate celebration caused negative social impact” and revoked his eligibility for all international and domestic competitions for the remainder of 2022.
That suspension might not have been entirely negative. In March 2023, at the WTT Star Contender Goa, Liang returned from suspension and defeated Tomokazu Harimoto 3-1 in the men’s singles semifinals, immediately trending on social media. Some fans expressed hope that “Big Fatty” would become more composed.
In 2024, Liang was named as an alternate for the men’s team at the Paris Olympics. The alternate was not used, and he watched from the sidelines as the men’s team won the gold medal.
In 2025, Liang dealt with injuries and withdrew from the Chinese Super League. However, he also gained a new identity off the court—associate professor at the Beijing Film Academy. In September 2025, the academy’s personnel department announced that Liang was appointed as a high-level physical education teacher at the Humanities and Social Sciences Teaching Department, at the professional and technical Level 7.
After the London World Championships, coach Wang Hao left a comment on Liang’s social media: “Congratulations, Professor Liang. It’s not easy, you kept persevering and never gave up. It’s indeed fitting for your profession.”
Liang has become “Professor Liang.” After the team’s title defense, the Beijing Film Academy issued a statement praising Liang as “a teacher, a national team mainstay, and a multiple world champion, bringing world-class table tennis vision to students and supporting the school’s sports development.”
Before the 2026 World Team Championships, Liang said in an interview, “This might be my last World Championships. I hope everyone remembers a Liang Jingkun with fight and passion.”
He was right. After the final victory, every fan will remember that when the team was in doubt twice, Liang used his “most viewership-grabbing” style of play to steady the ship. His performance once again proved that when China faces tough moments, there is always a player who steps up—a testament to their strong mental fortitude and the true foundation of
