Gao Ning
Gao Ning (simplified Chinese: 高宁; traditional Chinese: 高寧; pinyin: Gāo Níng; born 11 October 1982) is a retired Chinese-born Singaporean table tennis player. He is currently appointed as the Singapore Table Tennis National Coach for men. He is considered Singapore's best male player with a world ranking of 34 as of August 2016. He was first in men's singles at the 2007 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships. In 2018, Gao won the men's singles as well as the mixed doubles at the Commonwealth Games along with Yu Mengyu.
| Gao Ning | |
|---|---|
Gao in 2017 | |
| Personal information | |
| Native name | 高宁 |
| Nationality | Singapore |
| Born | 11 October 1982 Xinji, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China |
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Weight | 80 kg (176 lb; 12 st 8 lb) |
Table tennis career | |
| Playing style | Right-handed, shakehand grip |
| Highest ranking | 9 (April 2008) |
| Current ranking | 34 (August 2016) |
| Club | Chartres ASTT |
Medal record | |
He won a gold medal as a team member plus silver medals in the men's singles and men's doubles at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
Gao Ning cried after his singles match defeat to an opponent in the Beijing 2008 Olympics as no coach was available to guide him during the match. His coach was sick before the match. The scene of him in tears was telecast on local TV, causing the head coach of the Singapore table tennis team to lose his job.
At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, he won another two gold medals and a silver. The gold medals came in the men's doubles, with Li Hu, and the men's team, again with Li, and Zhan Jian. The silver came in the men's individual, where he lost the final to his teammate Zhan.