Japanese table tennis young player failed to win the Olympic medal, leaving Fukuhara Ai burst into tears

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 17th Olympic Special - As soon as the game was over, Ai Fukuhara hugged her teammates and burst into tears. From the court to the mixed zone, her eyes were always filled with tears.

In the match for the third and fourth place in women's table tennis team at the Beijing Olympic Games held on the afternoon of August 17, the Japanese team lost 0:3 to the South Korean team and missed the medal. Previously, the Japanese team had never won a medal in the table tennis competition at the Olympic Games, and today was the closest time, but reality is so cruel.

"Our performance today was okay, but our strength is not enough, there's nothing we can do about it," Ai Fukuhara choked back tears while being interviewed in the mixed zone. The Japanese team and the South Korean team had clashed in the group stage, and Japan also lost at that time. Regarding this, Ai Fukuhara felt very helpless, "The South Korean team is indeed very strong, we just can't beat them."

A reporter asked if Ai Fukuhara particularly desired this bronze medal, and the tears that were circling in her eyes fell immediately. "We really, really wanted to win this bronze medal, this is the first time the team event has been set up in the Olympics, and we have never won a medal before. Moreover, our head coach is leading the team for the last time in the Olympics."

"Our head coach is over 60 years old, the same age as my father. He has heart problems and has undergone surgery. After the Beijing Olympics, he will retire." Ai Fukuhara became even more emotional when talking about her coach.

At this moment, the head coach of the Japanese team, Kinji Naito, walked over. He put his arm around Ai Fukuhara like a father embracing his daughter. "We trained intensively for 200 days for the Olympics, during that period I was always with Ai Fukuhara, and I feel she has grown up a lot. I hope she will have better development in the future."

Hearing these words, Ai Fukuhara cried even harder.