Rong Guotuan, the Chinese table-tennis pioneer who died by suicide after being framed
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Table tennis pioneer
According to an AFP report, when China begins its quest to extend their Olympic table tennis domination at the Tokyo Games, they will be following a path forged by tragic trailblazer Rong Guotuan.
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Tragic end
In 1959, Rong became China's first world champion in any sport when he won the men's table tennis title, before committing suicide in his early 30s during the country's chaotic Cultural Revolution.
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Spying charges
Rong, who was born in Hong Kong in 1937, might have been a world champion but that did not save him from the tumult and violence of Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution of 1966-76. Rong, who had also coached China's women's team to success, was "framed as a suspected spy" and detained, say modern-day Chinese state media.
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Global domination
More than half-a-century later, Rong remains an inspiration to millions of casual players in China and to the all-powerful national team as they head to the Tokyo Games this month. Since table tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988, China have won 28 of the 32 gold medals.
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Cultural revolution
Rong's success set the stage for their domination and he has been credited with sparking China's enthusiasm for the sport. The exact circumstances of his downfall remain a mystery, as with many victims of a period when false or trumped-up accusations were levelled against countless people.