Chapter 79 The Triumph of Mao Zedong Thought

On the morning of the 20th, I heard the news from the radio that both the men's and women's table tennis teams of our country won the team championship of the 28th World Table Tennis Championships!This huge victory seemed to be expected by us, but I still felt boundless pride and joy from the bottom of my heart. This is the victory of Chinese male and female table tennis players with excellent skills, which is also the victory of Mao Zedong Thought! After a wave of joy, waves of inexhaustible memories and feelings followed.The victories our country's table tennis team has won in the tournament—especially the women's team—are the same as our victories in politics, economy, and culture since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Man, every victory is a miracle.Tracing back to the source, the creator of every miracle is the greatest Mao Zedong Thought.

Take sports as an example. Before liberation, under the pressure of the three mountains, sports not only did not receive attention, but also suffered endless contempt and destruction.Sports workers and athletes do not have the slightest guarantee of life and future, and their humiliating and painful experiences are even worse than those of athletes in capitalist countries today!On the international sports field, not only has the national flag of China never been raised, but even the top few have not been mentioned.These dark situations, the old people in the sports world, will speak more poignantly and clearly, so I don't need to say more.

With the sound of spring thunder, New China was established, and the sun and moon changed to a new sky.Among thousands of earth-shaking changes, sports is also one of the changes. The party and the government provide our athletes with all the technical and professional conditions, meticulous care in life, and most importantly, Marxism-Leninism Doctrine and Mao Zedong Thought educated these young people.It is certainly important for them to have a thorough understanding of technology and business, and they must study hard; but they also know that in our country, technology and business serve the politics of the proletariat, and there is no reliable political guarantee and political foundation. And business just can't consolidate and move forward.Comrade Xu Yinsheng's speech "On How to Play Table Tennis" is the result of the party's education and the active study and application of Mao Zedong Thought.The education of Mao Zedong Thought enables our athletes to play at a high level and with a high style in the international arena, with high morale, courage and composure, without arrogance or discouragement, with the motherland in mind and the world in view.Especially in this championship, the excellent performance of the Chinese women's table tennis team made them jump from the runner-up in the 26th session to the third place in the 27th session to become the world champion!They have added glory to the motherland, and also to the women of the motherland!

We not only want to congratulate them sincerely, but also learn from them humbly. Before the end of this championship, we would like to wish them great success with full of admiration and joy! (This article was originally published in The Athletic on April 21, 1965.)