China-born table tennis player to make her Olympics debut at 58, will represent Chile

58-year-old table tennis player to represent Chile in Olympics

Born in China, table tennis player Zhiying Zeng is about to do what few other athletes have done — make her Olympics debut, except at the age of 58.

According to the Guardian, Zeng had played the sport since she was a child, even being a member of a professional youth team in China in the 1970s.

However, she then retired from the sport in 1986 at the age of 20 and presently owns a furniture company in Iquique, northern Chile.

Zeng’s re-entry into the sport took place during the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a result of Chile’s strict lockdown measures, the athlete purchased a table tennis table and would play alone at home for hours on a daily basis.

After the lockdown, Zeng entered some local tournaments and won all of them, eventually becoming the country’s highest-ranked women’s player in 2023 and qualifying for a spot on the national team.

As part of the team, she clinched first place in the Sudamericanos 2023 and bronze in the 2023 Pan-American Games.

She also finished in the top eight within the Americas region, securing her debut in the singles at the Paris Olympics.

Table tennis player to debut in Olympics after excelling in tournaments

Zeng was born in 1966 in Guangzhou, China to a father who was an engineer and a mother who was a table tennis coach.

Speaking to The Guardian, she shared that her mother had coached her from a young age.

By 1983, China’s national table tennis team selected Zeng who aimed to represent the country on the biggest stage — the Olympic Games.

However, just three years later the sport introduced the two-colour rule, which required athletes to play with bi-colour paddles.

This would enable players to identify the surface their oppponents used and predict the speed and spin of the ball.

Zeng was unable to adapt to the rule, having used single-colour paddles since her childhood.

“The rule killed my game,” she said. “I felt weak, psychologically and technically.”

After leaving the Chinese national team, Zeng “barely played” until she received an offer to coach Chilean schoolchildren in 1989.

The move to the country appealed to Zeng, who said, “I wasn’t thinking anymore about being a professional player, but a coach.”

As of this year, she has been based in Chile for 35 years.

Briefly returned to sport in 2002

In an effort to get her son to become more physically active, Zeng briefly returned to the sport in 2002.

She brought him to her local table tennis club and was able to participate in a local tournament soon after.

“I beat everyone,” she said. “After that, my son only wanted to play table tennis, and never played video games again… I’m very proud that I made that decision.”

After the short stint in local tournaments, though, Zeng retired from the sport again until the pandemic hit the region.

Speaking about her talent, Zeng’s coach and friend, Juan Lizama, said her potential had been obvious since he first saw her play in the 1990s.

“She was extraordinary, the same level as today. She beat very well-known players in South America, and beat them easily,” he said.

Player praised as a global example

Calling her a “global example”, Lizama added:

“She retired from the sport for 20 years, and within a year, she won in the Sudamericanos, then the Pan-Americans, and now she’s going to the Olympics.”

Acknowledging her age and immigrant background whilst representing Chile, Zeng noted that she had never faced discrimination before, stating, “I’ve never had problems, and everyone acknowledges my achievements.”

“At my age, you have to play with happiness, not anguish,” Zeng added. “I love this country. I didn’t reach my dream in China, and I have here. It’s important not to give up.”

Also read: Shanti Pereira qualifies for 100m sprint at Paris Olympics

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Featured image adapted from @taniazengchile on Instagram and @santiago2023official on Instagram.