‘Farewell, Comrade Boll': China fans hail retiring German table tennis ace
Chinese table tennis fans have bid a heartfelt farewell to the retiring Timo Boll, Germany's former world No 1 known fondly as 'Uncle Boll' by millions in the Asian country.
Advertisement
The 44-year-old played his last professional match on Sunday in Frankfurt as his domestic team lost the Bundesliga final in Frankfurt.
It made headlines in China and on the X-like Weibo platform a related hashtag had more than four million views as of noon Tuesday.
Writing in Chinese and German on Weibo, four-time Olympic medallist Boll thanked fans for their 'thunderous support'.
'Thank you to the Chinese fans for your deep affection that crossed national borders,' he wrote to his nearly 800,000 followers.
Advertisement
'From Ma Lin to Fan Zhendong, every clash with a great opponent has been one of my most cherished honours,' Boll added, referring to two Chinese table tennis giants and Olympic champions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
11 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Branko Ivankovic fate a mystery, as China eye South Korea's Shin for top football job
South Korean Shin Tae-yong said he would jump at the chance to manage the Chinese men's national football team if asked to do so - although there is no official word as to whether the role is even up for grabs. While multiple reports in mainland China claimed Branko Ivankovic had been sacked after his side's failure to reach the 2026 World Cup, the country's football association has not said anything despite that being the expected outcome following a 1-0 defeat to Indonesia this month. Attention has already turned to Ivankovic's successor with Shin, who was sacked as Indonesia boss in January, among the names linked with the role. 'If there is a proposal from China, why hesitate?' he said. 'If there is an offer, I will go. The Chinese men's national football team [role] is definitely a very attractive position. 'If they appoint me as the next head coach of the Chinese team, I am confident that I can lead this team well.' South Korean Shin Tae-yong would be interested in becoming China manager. Photo: AP Media reports from Beijing suggested Ivankovic made a final appearance at the Chinese Football Association (CFA) headquarters on Friday to discuss his contract before leaving for a 1.45am flight to Qatar.
South China Morning Post
12 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China basketball teen sensation Zhang Ziyu ‘best player I've ever seen', coach says
Japan will be the latest team to get a close look at China women's teenage basketball sensation Zhang Ziyu, who was labelled 'the best player I have ever seen' by one overawed opponent last weekend. Advertisement China and Japan, who are ranked fourth and ninth in the world respectively, clash in a friendly in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, on Wednesday, as part of their preparations for next month's Fiba Asia Cup. Zhang made her senior team debut in a warm-up match against Bosnia and Herzegovina last Friday, and played in a second encounter on Sunday. The 7ft 5in (2.26-metre) centre chipped in 34 points and 14 rebounds in just over 27 minutes across the two matches. She had a team-high 18 points and seven boards in 12 minutes as the hosts won the first encounter 101-55, and two days later the 18-year-old was instrumental in a 124-57 thrashing, scoring 16 points and adding seven rebounds. Despite being limited by new head coach Gong Luming to 15 minutes per match, Zhang's dominance, especially in the paint, hardly went unnoticed.
South China Morning Post
14 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
‘Farewell, Comrade Boll': China fans hail retiring German table tennis ace
Chinese table tennis fans have bid a heartfelt farewell to the retiring Timo Boll, Germany's former world No 1 known fondly as 'Uncle Boll' by millions in the Asian country. Advertisement The 44-year-old played his last professional match on Sunday in Frankfurt as his domestic team lost the Bundesliga final in Frankfurt. It made headlines in China and on the X-like Weibo platform a related hashtag had more than four million views as of noon Tuesday. Writing in Chinese and German on Weibo, four-time Olympic medallist Boll thanked fans for their 'thunderous support'. 'Thank you to the Chinese fans for your deep affection that crossed national borders,' he wrote to his nearly 800,000 followers. Advertisement 'From Ma Lin to Fan Zhendong, every clash with a great opponent has been one of my most cherished honours,' Boll added, referring to two Chinese table tennis giants and Olympic champions.
