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History on Today: Rong Guotuan wins first world champion for China on April 5, 1959

Editor: Zhang Jianfeng 丨CCTV.com

04-05-2017 09:23 BJT

On April 5, 1959, in men's singles competition of World Table Tennis Championships in Dortmund, Rong Guotuan recorded 7 straight wins to clinch the men's world champion. He became the first world championship winner after the foundation of the People's Republic of China (PRC). 

Rong Guotuan

Rong Guotuan

The first table tennis ball Double Happiness made in China for international competitions was named after Rong's victory at the Championships and the tenth anniversary of the PRC's establishment in 1959.

Rong Guotuan was born in Hong Kong in 1937, with family roots from Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. He started playing table tennis in his childhood and participated in competitions in Hong Kong as a junior. In 1957, Rong decided to move to Chinese mainland. He won national champion in the following year and was later selected as a member of the national team.

At the 1961 World Table Tennis Championships in Beijing, Rong helped Chinese men's team win the first team title by defeating Japan and Hungary in the finals. After 1964, he worked as the coach of Chinese women's team. The women's team won their first champion at the 1965 World Championships.

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