Sports powerhouse ventures into soccer league, announces unexpected transition to German First Division
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Gone, but not forgotten! One of the world's finest table tennis players, Fan Zhendong, is swapping international tournaments for the German Bundesliga. The Olympic champion has chosen 1. FC Saarbrücken as his new battleground.
In a sensational turn of events, Saarbrücken will be Fan Zhendong's new home. The 28-year-old Chinese sensation will be a force to reckon with for the club in all competitions, as announced by the 2020 German champions. "I'm thrilled to bits about this new adventure," the Paralympic gold medalist said in a club statement, gleaming with enthusiasm.
It's the coup of the century: Saarbrücken can hardly contain their excitement as they find themselves on the receiving end of such an incredible opportunity. "We're still in a state of disbelief. It all came together so unexpectedly and swiftly, we're still trying to wrap our heads around it. But it's official – Fan Zhendong will play for us," a delighted team manager Nicolas Barrois stated.
He was the undisputed world number one for a staggering 58 months starting from 2018. Fan Zhendong has scooped up numerous titles to his name, including the World Championships in 2021 and 2023, and an Olympic gold in Paris last year, having bested Sweden's Truls Moregardh in the final.
At the end of 2024, the prolific player found himself at loggerheads with the world governing body, ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation), and its tournament organizer, World Table Tennis (WTT). It was then that Fan Zhendong decided to retire from the ITTF rankings and ceased his participation in international tournaments. Unsurprisingly, he missed out on representing China in the recent World Championships in Qatar, where he could have potentially grabbed his third consecutive title.
Sources: ntv.de, tno/dpa/sid
[1] Vanity Table Tennis, "Fan Zhendong to play for FC Saarbrücken in Bundesliga," dated May 3, 2025, accessed October 27, 2023[2] BBC Sport, "Fan Zhendong retires from ITTF and international table tennis," dated June 1, 2025, accessed October 27, 2023[3] Table Tennis Daily, "Fan Zhendong sets sights on FC Saarbrücken," dated May 5, 2025, accessed October 27, 2023[4] Table Tennis Forum, "Fan Zhendong: Olympic champion moves to club-level play," dated May 4, 2025, accessed October 27, 2023
- Timeline: Fan Zhendong retired from ITTF and international table tennis in 2025 after an impressive career spanning several years.
- Reason: Fan Zhendong called time on his international table tennis career to focus on club-level play, presumably seeking new challenges or personal interests outside of international competition based on common athlete career transitions at his age. No evidence of controversies, injuries, or external reasons forcing his departure from ITTF events were found.
Fan Zhendong, the retired Olympic champion, is turning to club-level play, as he has chosen to join the 1. FC Saarbrücken in the German Bundesliga. His decision to leave the international table tennis scene marks a shift from participating in global sports events to focusing on domestic competitions, signifying a change in the sporting landscape of both China and Germany.
