“Pound the Rock” — The path to defeating the reigning champions, China: the frustration and resolve carried by the ace

Featured in O-KOKU December 2026 issue [Asian Games Coverage Notes]

　No matter how many times he tried, the summit remained out of reach. And yet, every stroke he had piled up was steadily carving away at the boulder. Japan's men, led by Tomokazu. HARIMOTO, defeated China in the Asian Games Team Event Final. Behind that historic Victory lay the path of an ace who had evolved through Loss.

Text by Masato SUZUKI (Masato SUZUKI, Sports Group Reporter, Nikkei)

Tomokazu. HARIMOTO kept bringing the hammer down on table tennis’s boulder, China, more than anyone else. In the Team Event Final, he took two points against China and became the driving force that changed history.

Days spent challenging China’s stronghold. The accumulated “one point”

　Sora MATSUSHIMA unleashed a sharp Backhand Cross-court, and WEN Ruibo’s Return caught the Net. Tomokazu. HARIMOTO, watching the match from the player entrance gate at the edge of the court, dashed out at full speed, and a circle of celebration formed. The Chinese team staff, who had been rising from their seats and urging on their Players point after point, hung their heads and fell silent.

　On the night of September 24, at the Asian Games men’s Team Event Final, the sight inside Sky Hall Toyota was so starkly contrasting that the saying that came to mind was, “Pound the Rock.”

　A large stone won’t budge from a single blow of a hammer. If it finally breaks on the 101st strike, the cause is not only that last one. It is thanks to the 100 blows that came before it. The lesson, also known for being used by a famous NBA coach in the United States, teaches the value of perseverance and the process of taking on difficult challenges.