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Ping Pong

This show is the selected drama by NRTA

in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the PRC,

and was funded under the 2019 Art Creation of Hubei.

Episode 2 This is a work of fiction.

Regional Training 11 hours before the registration

Yu Ke Nan.

Get changed.

I'll bring you to meet

Mr Mo of the national team.

I'm not going.

I don't want to play ping-pong anymore.

Let go!

I'll walk by myself!

Guo Yuan.

That's Yu Ke Nan?

That's indeed him.

Is he that genius player from your Shanghai team?

Is that old man your coach?

I'm not joining the regional training!

-That's his dad. -I can walk on my own!

He's forced him to play ping-pong since he was young.

He's won all the youth championships.

Move!

Get in!

I'm not joining the darn regional training!

I will say this one more time!

You are joining it

no matter what!

Yu Ke Nan

from the Shanghai team is here to report himself.

You're supposed to come at five.

You're ridiculously late.

Here,

sign your name!

I'm capable enough to make the national team.

I don't need some regional training!

Are you signing it or not?

No!

Fine.

Since you refuse to sign it,

I will do so on your behalf.

What's there to watch?

You...

You vandalised things upon your arrival.

Do you feel uneasy from not being punished?

I have a strength, which is a photographic memory.

I'll see who's going to be late

for the morning training tomorrow.

Sirs.

Could you please come to my office?

He joined the Shanghai team at the age of 11.

At the age of 12, he won the Eight Cup twice in a row.

And he's won all the national youth championships.

During the elimination for the training,

he even got the first place.

Yu Ge.

Your son is not bad.

He's got a promising future.

But it's such a shame.

He was punished after joining the second team for less than a year.

And he was forced to rejoin the provincial team.

I think he's no good.

You'll join it.

Are you being rebellious?

Don't be mad. Take a seat.

Calm down.

Your results are outstanding.

But so are your shortcomings.

There's no place for a thorn in the flesh like you.

I'm doing good in the provincial team.

It's definitely comfortable than being in the national team.

But don't you forget this.

It's not good

for a player

to feel comfortable.

What's wrong with feeling so?

I can win a championship comfortably.

I admire your confidence.

But there must be a basis

for your confidence.

A community championship and a world championship.

The gap is quite big.

I feel confident because

I'm better than them all.

You're better than others when it comes to drinking and fighting!

You got expelled from the national team few days after joining it.

Don't you feel embarrassed?

And you're thinking of winning world championships?

It's you who want to win them!

If you can't win them on your own,

why are you forcing me to do so?

Say that again!

What?

You gave birth to me and raised me up

so that I can play ping-pong,

win you championships,

and give face to you!

You don't want to play it anymore?

Yes!

Fine.

Yu Ge.

From now on,

you will never play it anymore!

Yu Ge.

Yu Ge, listen to me!

You're really agile.

You walk so fast.

What are you doing here?

To witness my misfortune?

Look.

You're full of thorns.

Just like your son.

You're talking nonsense.

I watched your son play before.

Each of his physical ability

is very excellent.

He's powerful.

Even more uncommon,

His ball sense

is better than

all the young players.

He's exactly like you.

That's a given.

He's my son.

He might not share all of your strengths.

But he's as problematic as you.

He plays impatiently.

And he beat his teammate up.

I know my son well.

He's a bit hot-headed.

But

he wouldn't beat him up for no reason.

At any rate,

it's against the team rules

to be late for the competition

and beat his teammate up.

As his father,

you should teach him well,

not to defend him.

Had that brat

listened to me,

we wouldn't be

having this awkward situation.

It's hard for a time bomb

to become a great player.

Be mentally prepared.

He might not be able to play well.

Nonsense!

He is far better than

both of us were.

He's truly skilled.

If he couldn't play well,

then who?

Tell me.

Who could do it?

Why don't you say that in front of him?

It's none of your business.

If he doesn't want to play, suit himself.

He's still a thorn in the flesh.

Hello.

Nan Nan.

Have you two reached the place?

You should've given me a call.

Mom, why did you lie to me?

It's not a competition.

I don't want to join the regional training!

Why are you being so stubborn?

Pass the phone to him.

He's not here.

Did you fight with your dad?

Nan Nan, although your dad is hot-tempered,

he just wants you to get back to the national team soonest.

Got it. Just leave me alone.

I'm hanging up.

Bo Bo.

Let me ask you something.

Is Yu Ke Nan from your team

really good?

Yes, when he was in the provincial team,

he dared to challenge

the veteran players who were two to three years older than him.

He's basically won

all the youth championships in China.

Then why did he come to the regional training?

He used to be in the second national team.

But he was forced to rejoin the provincial team

because he beat his teammate up.

He even beat someone up?

I'm

not so sure about that.

When I was in the Shanghai team,

we didn't talk much.

Quick, get back to your bed.

It's getting late.

Where do you plan to go?

I'm going back to Shanghai.

The last boat has left long ago.

How can you go back to Shanghai?

I have my ways.

Fine.

You're truly a piece of work.

The more you try to run away, the more I want to know

why you resist to be here.

What?

Are you afraid of losing?

I'm afraid of losing?

I don't need regional training

to get back to the national team.

It's the national team. You can't just come and go as you please.

If you run away from here,

that means you give up completely.

There are

only two reasons to give up.

The first one.

You're really not capable enough.

The second one is

you're scared.

I forgot to tell you something.

The center is built on the hillside.

It's low on the inside and high on the outside.

Be careful. Don't get your legs sprained.

Why didn't you tell me earlier?

Teng.

Teng.

Teng.

Teng Biao!

1999, the finals of Eight Cup

You must be tired.

Xu Tan, 11 years old

The opponent is too strong.

Just do your best.

There's one more ball.

Yu Ke Nan.

Take it seriously.

Don't slack off just because it's the last stage.

Got it?

Yu Ke Nan.

Yu Ke Nan, 11 years old

Get up already.

It's okay if you miss Xiaotuyu at six in the morning.

But

you can't miss the rice noodle served by the canteen.

I don't think it's appropriate

to put things on his bed.

What if he comes today?

It's okay.

After

what he did yesterday night,

I don't think he's coming.

Is Yu Ke Nan that good?

Yes. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to cause Mr Teng trouble.

But he's truly a hothead.

Eat quickly.

We need to do a route-march on our first day.

Why are you so clear about the flow?

Practice makes perfect.

I've been here for five times.

He's been here for six times.

And Na Seng's been here for three times.

I'll come here every year until I pass it.

I may look lousy.

But I'm the only one who play well

in my provincial team.

Many said

they envied me

for all the opportunities I got.

But no one knows

I wanted others to have those opportunities.

I need to play for men's singles

and men's doubles.

I only need a wig to play for women's singles.

Don't turn around.

Just take a sidelong glance.

Who's that great beauty?

Is she in the women's team?

The women's team doesn't train with us.

I've never seen her either.

She's probably the coach's family member.

I'm done eating.

I heard Yu Ke Nan is back.

Why is he nowhere to be seen?

There's no way he's coming back.

How can he come here after he did what he did?

He even fought with someone at the mailroom yesterday.

Guan Wei, second national team

He can't come here anymore.

Seriously?

Enough.

Fu Jing Chun, number one seeded player

Cut it out.

He was our teammate after all.

Take the paddles and get ready to train.

All right.

Who's that?

Fu Jing Chun.

You've never heard of him?

Number one seeded player from the second national team.

He's very good at attacking using penhold grip and pimples-out rubber.

He's definitely going to make the first national team.

Line up!

Quick, let's go.

What are you doing? Stand properly.

Didn't you learn how to line up in the provincial teams?

Since you're for the regional training,

you're all the outstanding players

from the provincial teams.

For the next 35 days,

Zheng Hao, coach of the second national team

I hope you don't waste time.

Spend every day doing three days worth of work.

Seize the opportunity.

Let me remind you.

This place

is not short of talented players.

I hope you all

can forget about the past honour,

get rid of your burden,

and throw yourself

into playing ping-pong.

To anyone who is pleased with himself,

has his nose in the air,

and lack of discipline,

this training

is his end.

Mr Teng.

All right.

I have some words for you.

Regarding the grouping

and the selection system,

We've divided you all into seven small teams

based on your previous results.

In three days,

In three days

there will be the first intragroup elimination.

Based on the results,

you'll be divided into training echelons.

The top three players from each group,

21 people in total,

will join the first training echelon.

Players ranked fourth to sixth,

will join the second training echelon.

And so forth.

Mr Sun.

Please paste the name list

on the door.

Yes, Mr Teng.

I believe everyone

knows that

this training

is tournament-based.

On the last day of training,

according to your points,

the top three provincial players

and the three players ranked bottom in second national team,

will have a tournament.

As for the tournament rules...

What tournament? It's not as nice as it sounds.

What do you mean?

It's called tournament.

But it's in fact elimination.

If you win it, you have the chance to make the national team.

But they're going to make the top three provincial players

challenge the three players ranked bottom in the second national team.

Whoever wins makes the national team.

The losers will pack up and leave.

He Jin Bao.

Why don't you come up and talk?

Coach!

I shall shut up at once!

The group list for the next three days

has been pasted on the door.

You have five minutes

to confirm your groups.

Eight o'clock.

Gather at the gate on time.

Dismiss!

Which groups are you guys in?

I don't need to check it.

I'm definitely in the seventh group.

There's an unwritten rule for regional training.

You see, they put all old

or weak players into the seventh group.

With our skills,

we're absolutely no match for these good players.

Which group are you in?

Let me analyse for you.

Group Seven.

Group Seven

He Jin Bao, Lanzhou Team Xu Tan, Beijing Team

Regional Training Day One

Don't take what I said to heart.

Sometimes they don't necessarily

group players according to that rule.

It's okay.

In fact, I quit the team before.

I was just recommended to come here.

And I'm not that skilled anyway.

Who said you can talk?

Xu Tan.

Group Seven is quite nice.

Just train easily.

You won't feel pressured even if you're ranked bottom.

How wonderful.

Since I'm here,

I want to train well.

Isn't that Yu Ke Nan?

Yu Ke Nan.

He got the audacity to wear that outfit.

Didn't you want to swim back to Shanghai?

I'm not a trainee.

None of your business.

Stop.

Who asked you to stop?

Keep running.

Have you made up your mind?

I have.

Sign it.

Sign it and you will be free.

After signing it, hand it to Mr Cui from the reception office.

Also,

take off this team uniform.

You're no longer in the national team.

It's not appropriate for you to wear it.

It means nothing to me.

Ke Nan.

What now?

Ke Nan.

I sincerely hope that

you can give it a thought before you leave.

Whether you will keep playing ping-pong or not,

I hope you don't live under

your dad's shadow.

You started all this for him.

Don't just give up for him. It's not worth it.

Here's your file.

Keep it well.

Keep it for your family.

Let them see what happened.

Ke Nan.

You're back.

Jia Yu

Your shirt is dirty. Come.

Go get changed at my dorm.

Let's go.

Yu Ke Nan.

I'm Xu Tan from the Beijing team.

We've had a match when we're young.

I don't remember it.

Many people lost to me.

He just gave you

a cold shoulder.

I've been waiting for you.

I thought you'd left long ago.

Come back.

Who could let me back there?

Could you?

You need an opponent.

Yu Ke Nan!

I need an opponent, too.

Here's your file.

Keep it for your family.

Let them see what happened.

Personal Information of Ping-Pong Player

Yu Ke Nan Male, Trainee

Oath Ceremony of National Ping-Pong Team

May 1995, Shanghai

I don't want to train. I want to go out and play.

You may go out and play

after you finish these balls.

It's just a world championship.

I will win it.

You shouldn't have greeted that Yu Ke Nan.

Bo Bo told me that

he's very arrogant.

That he looked down on people.

When he was in the national team,

he got drunk and beat someone up.

That's why he was forced to rejoin the provincial team.

Why?

Who would know?

He's a better player.

But he's snobbish.

Gosh!

It hurts!

They're going to break.

Hang in there.

Mr Teng.

Why are you back here?

I'm sorry.

You're not sincere enough.

Mr Teng.

I'm sorry!

Saying it out loud can't prove that you're sincere.

Mr Teng.

I'm sorry.

I would like to join the regional training.

But it's such a shame.

I've changed my mind.

Even though you're a good player,

that doesn't mean the national team can't do without you.

Don't just stand here.

Go back to Shanghai.

It's so comfortable to be in the provincial team.

Mr Teng.

Please give me another chance.

Training isn't my goal.

Neither is making the national team.

I want to win championships.

World championships!

You're such a bragger.

Do you know what world championships mean?

There are tens of millions players in the world.

I don't care how many players there are!

I'm better than them all.

You can't give up on me.

You will regret.

I will regret giving up on you?

Tell me your reason.

Mr Teng.

You can't give up on me.

I'll right all my wrongs.

I'll obey all the rules.

Okay?

Will you beat people again?

No, Jia Yu started it first...

Okay.

I will not beat people.

Don't beat people. And don't be late.

I have another request.

Go ahead, I'm okay with any request.

If you say so,

I will not stand on ceremony.

You can't lose any game throughout the training.

If you lose one,

you will go back to Shanghai.

That's easy.

Yes.

Your dad threw away this luggage.

It took me some effort to find it.

Get back to the dorm.

Thank you, Coach!

Wait.

You've had a night by the seaside.

Don't fall sick before the training starts.

Drink it.

Thank you, Mr Teng.

Go ahead.

I'll get going.

What a brat.

Whose are these?

They're mine.

Your sock.

You're back, Ke Nan.

Regional Training Day Two

Mr Teng.

These kids

are the elite we selected from the provincial teams.

Not bad.

The overall standard of provincial teams

are quite high.

The Beijing team

isn't as good as it was.

This is the first training echelon.

And that is the second training echelon.

Su Chang VS Xu Tan 11-02

Even if you train for one year, you are still no match for me.

Yu Ke Nan

Mr Teng.

He's a good knife.

We need a sheath.

Yu Ke Nan.

You're amazing.

Yu Ke Nan, Shanghai Team, 40 points

Yu Ke Nan is so arrogant.

He has the right to be arrogant.

You see, none of us provincial players

couldn't beat him down.

He's powerful.

And the way he returned the balls was quality.

And he lost those few points

due to his own mistakes.

Didn't you have a match with him?

Don't even bring that up.

It's 11-01.

Why did he even bully an old and weak player like me?

He's brilliant?

If that's the case, he should have a match with Fu Jing Chun.

Truth be told,

I think he might not be able to beat Fu Jing Chun down.

We have nothing to do with a fight between two deities.

Exactly.

If we don't get to the canteen now,

beef noodle will be sold out.

Quick.

Yu Ke Nan, Shanghai Team, 40 points

Ke Nan.

You left the national team.

Not only did you maintain your standard,

you've also improved a lot.

For this regional training, let's have a few games.

And learn from each other.

You want to play with me?

Do you deserve it?

We're all friends.

Why are you being so fussy?

Regional Training Day Three

Xiaotuyu TV

My fellow beloved friends,

good morning.

You are watching

the men's ping-pong tournament of Olympics.

Next,

I would like to introduce you all to

a rising ping-pong star in China.

His name is Xu Tan.

Here. Hello, Xu Tan.

Introduce yourself to

our fellow beloved friends.

Hello, everyone. I'm Xu Tan.

Xu Tan.

Don't you know me?

I used to train with you

at Xiaotuyu.

Look.

The audience is cheering for you.

Here. Tell our beloved friends.

Are you confident to win the gold medal

for the men's singles in this Olympics?

I guess so.

This player is so boring.

We've decided not to interview him.

Coach is here.

Xu Tan lied to you. The coach's not here.

Na Seng, let's continue it.

Next,

we are hereby announcing that

we are going to boycott this player.

We...

We would like to introduce you to another player.

I would say that he was born to be a champion.

His name is Yu Ke Nan.

His techniques

are fast, stable, accurate, and sharp.

And now he can already

hit anywhere he wants.

My leg is starting to hurt.

So is my back.

Coach!

Coach is not coming today.

Mr Teng said he'd have a meeting this morning.

Now every inch of my skin

can feel that pain.

Yu Ke Nan's serve was truly

powerful!

In China,

there are thirty thousand players in amateur sports schools.

And two thousand professional players.

Only 77 of them

deserve to be here!

They get to use the best arenas and ping-pong tables.

And to receive the best training.

But

if you can't even endure this,

how can you represent China

in competitions?

We

are not short of new ping-pong talents.

Some talents just disappear

before they get to shine for even a bit.

Think about it.

Training or taking a rest?

Training!

Good.

Any other questions?

No!

Room 203.

Get out of the line.

You interfered with the training.

Each of you will do five frog hops.

Start.

I didn't join them.

It's them who kept interfering in my training.

And I just ignored them.

You didn't join them?

Who can prove it for you?

Sir.

He didn't join us indeed.

Neither did four of them.

The national team is a team.

When it comes to competitions,

you don't win them as an individual.

And you don't lose them as an individual.

However,

Yu Ke Nan should be rewarded

for taking the training seriously.

Therefore,

starting from today,

you will be the dorm leader.

What kind of reward is that?

Didn't you say they interfered in your training?

Mr Mo.

I'm granting you the authority to manage them.

It's decided then.

Most of you

haven't met me before this.

Let me introduce myself.

Mo Hong Wei, the current head coach of national team

I'm Mo Hong Wei.

The current head coach of national team.

I heard

the standard of this batch of trainees is very high.

I came all the way from Beijing for inspection.

And to identify your problems.

As usual,

this is a very tough week.

I hope you all

can pull yourselves together

and show me what you got.

It's getting late. Mr Zheng.

Next,

let me announce the training plan for this week.

From today onwards,

we will replace the training with matches.

The rules are simple.

Whoever wins

gets a point for the promotion and relegation.

Whoever loses

receives an extra set of multi-ball training,

for every point he loses.

How many sets of multi-ball training are we going to have?

Start your training. Dismiss.

Start doing frog hops now.

Yu Ke Nan.

Keep an eye on them.

Don't let them slack off.

Mr Yu.

Ping Pong Little Drama

Game Rules of Ping-Pong

Game Rules

A ping-pong game

ends when one of the players receives eleven points.

Best-of-five playoff is used in

Team Competition

a team competition.

Best of Five

And best-of-seven playoff is used in

Singles Competition

a singles competition.

Best of Seven

In the earlier days,

there used to be a 100-point scoring system.

After it officially became a competition event,

people had been using

the 21-point scoring system.

A game ended when one of the players gained 21 points.

Best-of-three playoff.

Best of Three

A game

using a 21-point scoring system took a lot of time.

Audience would lose patience.

And the athletes tend to get worn out.

Therefore,

starting from

September 1, 2002, ITTF

has replaced the 21-point scoring system

with the 11-point scoring system.

And the best-of-three playoff was

replaced by the best-of-five playoff.

Best of Five

Or the best-of-seven playoff.

Best of Seven

In that case,

the actual number of balls for each game

has been reduced to about 20.

That makes every game exciting.

And every point matters.

Ping Pong