Vale Cang Sheng Miao

It is with great sadness that TTA wishes to inform the Australian table tennis community of the passing of Cang Sheng Miao, former Australian National Team Coach and father of Australian icon Miao Miao, on Saturday 17 February 2018.

Cang Sheng Miao dedicated his life to table tennis and he enjoyed success everywhere he went. As a player he rose quickly through the ranks, after attending and representing the Tianjin Sports University, he eventually earned a coveted position on the Chinese National Team. However, it was through coaching where Cang Sheng Miao made his biggest impact. Over more than 20 years in China he coached the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Sixty Six Army Table Tennis Team and then the Tianjin State Team. Following this, he became the Poland National Team Coach from 1991-1996. With the introduction of the special talent immigration program, Cang Sheng Miao together with Miao Miao immigrated to Australia in 1997, through this Cang Sheng Miao coached the Australian National Team from 1997 until prior to the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. In later years he also coached the Song Shan Gao Shang High School Team in Taiwan.

During his decades-long coaching career, he trained many outstanding table tennis players with his disciples spread all over the world including China, Poland, Canada, Germany, America and multiple other European countries. Many of whom made remarkable achievements in major domestic and international competitions such as National, Continental and World level titles. Of course he also coached his daughter Miao Miao from the very beginning and throughout her career of more than 25 years that to date has yielded 6 Commonwealth Games medals, dozens of Australian and Oceania Championships and a European Junior Championship crown.

Cang Sheng Miao had world class technical knowledge of table tennis, but what set him apart was the genuine empathy he showed to his players. He cared deeply for their development and worked hard to ensure they could reach their potential. He was always willing to undertake extra hours of training, spend time speaking with his players to pass on his knowledge and putting in the effort required to make detailed plans of how they could achieve their goals.

Cang Sheng Miao will be sadly missed by the table tennis community throughout Australia, China, Europe and beyond, however in Australia in particular, his legacy will live on through Miao Miao.

A funeral will be held on Wednesday 28 February 2018 at 10.00am at Le Pine Glen Waverley Chapel - 388 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley, Victoria, 3133. The table tennis community is welcome to attend.