At the 2024 Paris Olympics, 58-year-old Chinese-Chilean table tennis player Zeng Zhiying made her Olympic debut, becoming the second-oldest woman competing in singles table tennis at the Games. Her unwavering passion for the sport, combined with her upbeat and optimistic personality, left a lasting impression. Fans affectionately call her the "Ping Pong Grandma".
Zeng Zhiying. (Photo/ Bai Hua)
The finals of the 2025 World Table Tennis Championships will take place in Doha on May 17. Recently, Zeng participated in an interview while training at the Foshan Sports School in preparation for the event. She shared that this will be her first time competing at the World Championships, and although she feels she has already achieved her goal by qualifying, she still hopes to win a match. "For me, every point played well is a victory," she said.
Zeng trained at the Foshan Sports School for about two to two and a half hours each day, engaging in multiball drills and match play with younger players. "During training, coaches point out my weaknesses, which really helps me improve," she said.
The World Table Tennis Championships, along with the World Cup and the Olympics, is considered one of the top three competitions in the sport. Speaking about her debut at the World Championships, Zeng described the experience as "just like the Olympics—exciting and nerve-racking." She added, "There are many world-class players in this tournament. It's a huge challenge for me, but that's okay. Every point played well is a victory."
Zeng Zhiying is training. (Photo/ Bai Hua)
Zeng was born to parents from Guangdong. Her mother, Deng Huizhang, was selected for China's national team training camp in the 1960s, later coaching the Henan provincial team, and eventually returning to Foshan to teach at the sports school. Zeng started playing table tennis at age nine and represented both Henan and Guangdong in China's National Games. At 22, she accepted an offer to coach in Chile and later won two national singles titles there.
"Foshan is my hometown—my real home," Zeng said. Her parents have lived there for over 40 years, and she regularly returns to visit family. She especially loves the local cuisine, particularly Shunde-style sashimi. "It's almost time to leave again, and I already miss it."
On April 30, the World Championships draw was announced, placing Zeng in the bottom half of the bracket. She wrote on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), "I'm in the same quarter as top players like Wang Manyu… please cheer me on!"
Reporters | Bai Hua, Wang Pengqin
Video | Bai Hua, Chen Xitong
Editor | Wei Shen, James, Shen He
