(The CEN News / Reporter Lee Hyun-ah) China edged Japan 3-2 in the women’s team final at the 2026 World Table Tennis Championships in London, securing a seventh straight title. Observers credited the hard-fought victory to the players’ mental toughness and the team’s cohesion.
Sun Yingsha, a cornerstone of the Chinese squad, said Kobe Bryant’s autobiography played a major role in her tournament preparation and mindset.
In behind-the-scenes training footage aired by CCTV, Sun said, “I read Kobe’s autobiography while preparing for the World Championships. The scene that stuck with me most was him coming to a quiet gym at dawn and repeating the fundamentals over and over.”
She added, “I came to understand how the work you do alone can be converted into the energy of a stadium cheered on by tens of thousands.” In the clip, Sun even called herself “China’s Kobe.” She said she and her teammates share training methods and constantly refine technique and small details through intense repetition.
The final was no walk in the park. Japan launched a fierce comeback, and China had to hold its nerve through a tense finish.
After the match, Sun said, “Even in difficult moments I believed in myself. I trusted that my teammates and the coaching staff behind me believed as well.”
She added, “At the most intense moments I was totally locked into the match. Even if we fell behind, I trusted that Wang Manyu would pull us back into it.”
Local outlets pointed to deep trust among the players and a refusal to quit as the driving forces behind the win. They noted that the “dawn training” mentality Sun referenced—popularized by Kobe Bryant—symbolizes the discipline and focus common to world-class athletes, not just a sports anecdote.
Photo: WTT official account
(The CEN News) Reporter Lee Hyun-ah press@mhns.co.kr
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