China's table tennis player Wang Hao ended his prolific1 16-year career on the national team on Saturday, with the lack of an Olympic singles' gold medal his only regret.
中国乒乓球选手王皓上周六结束了16年的职业生涯，未能拿到奥运会单打金牌是他唯一的遗憾。
An emotional Wang announced his
retirement2 at a private birthday party for teammate Hao Shuai's son, turning a toast meant to be celebratory a little
melancholy3, according to the Table Tennis World magazine.
Wang expressed his
gratitude4 to teammates and
mentors5, some present at the party including Liu Guoliang, head coach of China's national table tennis team, who watched over Wang as one of his most
accomplished6 proteges.
The 31-year-old has won 18 world champions titles since he was selected for the national team in 1998, but missed out on three
consecutive7 Olympics singles finals in 2004, 2008 and 2012.
Known for his mastery of reverse penhold backhand playing style, Wang is expected to return to the People's Liberation Army Bayi Team, which trained him before his national
squad8 stint9, as part of its coaching team.
The men's national team is experiencing a transition as veterans such as Ma Lin, Wang Liqin and Wang Hao choose to retire and make way for younger talents.
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