Comedian's joke about table tennis loss ping pongs
Stand-up comedian "Skinny" stirred controversy recently after mocking Chinese table tennis player Wang Chuqin on his personal social media account. He joked that Wang's loss in the recent China Smash 2024 was not a "shock upset" but a "habitual upset," and that the number 32 was Wang's "lucky number."
The comments quickly attracted public attention.
In a recent 32-to-16 match during the China Smash 2024 men's singles, top seed Wang Chuqin lost 1-3 to Denmark's Anders Lind. This marked his second exit from the round of 32, the first at the Olympic Games.
For Wang and his fans, the number 32 has since become an unwelcome reminder of these difficult moments, a harsh reality they will likely avoid mentioning.
Wild Comedy Guangzhou, the club where Skinny performs, issued a statement on Friday addressing the issue, clarifying that Skinny's remarks were not part of any stand-up routine and announcing the suspension of its collaboration with him.
Following his 1-3 defeat to Denmark's Anders Lind on October 1, Wang addressed his singles loss in an interview.
"I realize that ever since the Olympics, I haven't regained my usual competitive mindset and desire," he said. "I wanted to play well in this tournament, but I didn't thoroughly consider how to do that. I just aimed to give it my all, but mentally and emotionally, I wasn't fully settled, and that affected my ability to really push myself against my opponent."