Since the beginning of the year 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the whole sporting world, and table tennis has become one of the victims. The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has since canceled or rescheduled all the tournaments after March 12, including the 2020 Busan World Team Table Tennis Championships.

Table tennis fans are concerned not only about the date to restart the game, but also about the current status of the players. Olympic and World champion, the captain of the Chinese National Table Tennis Men's Team Ma Long, was exclusively interviewed by CGTN Sports Scene anchor and commentator Wang Dong on Wednesday.

Ma Long shared his current status, balance training and daily life, and comments on President Liu Guoliang's new title at the World Team Tennis (WTT).

"The COVID-19 pandemic indeed influenced the arrangement of our preparation for the World Team Table Tennis Championships and the Tokyo Olympic Games," Ma Long said.

"However, it also provided me with the opportunity to recover from injuries and maintain a good mentality. I can take the time to adjust to the best shape of my body."

At last year's ITTF World Cup, Ma Long was defeated by Japan's young talent Tomokazu Harimoto, a bitter loss for the "Grand Slam" winner to swallow. Sharing his tips to maximize strength to tackle hardships during each game, Ma said, "the most important thing is to get fully-prepared before each game. I always keep adjusting my physical, skill, and mental condition with my coach."

On how to balance daily life and training, Ma said, "as a professional player, it's normal to travel around to play and have less time to spend with families. Therefore, I appreciate the understanding and support of my families."

"Each player has their unique way to relax during their spare time, and for me, I love reading, listening to music, and watching movies."

On Monday, Chinese table tennis chief Liu Guoliang was named as Chair of the newly-formed WTT Council, to pioneer the future of table tennis.

"It's a great opportunity for professionalism and marketization of table tennis. The value and influence of players will be improved. China, who always has a say in the world's table tennis arena, can now lead the world table tennis to a higher stage."

At the end of the interview, Ma Long also expressed appreciation for the praise from ITTF's CEO, Steve Dainton.

"It's not only a compliment to me, but also the Chinese Table Tennis Team. We, as a team, will keep working hard to make the future of Chinese table tennis better and better."