Fifty-eight-year-old table tennis player Zeng Zhiying fulfilled her lifelong dream of competing in the Olympics, representing Chile at the 2024 Games.
Born in Guangzhou, China, in 1966, she was immersed in the world of table tennis from a young age, with her mother as her coach.
Zhiying quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a junior national champion and earning a spot on the Chinese national team at just 16 years old.
Despite her early retirement from the sport due to a rule change that prevented her from pursuing her Olympic aspirations, Zhiying found a way to make her dream a reality by representing Chile on the Olympic stage.
The regulation known as the "two-colour rule," which was enforced prior to the 1988 Seoul Olympics, stipulated that the two sides of the paddle could no longer both be black and had to be distinguishable by different colours.
This posed a considerable challenge for Zeng, as she frequently rotated the paddle to befuddle her opponents. The requirement for different colours on each side significantly diminished her ability to be unpredictable.
“So many players in China have the dream [to represent the country] because it’s so hard to achieve. The change of rules affected my game a lot,” she told CNN. “That’s when I had a big downturn and left the national team. ”
The tide turned quickly for Zeng when, in 1989, she received an invitation from a school in Chile to work as a table tennis coach, an opportunity that significantly impacted her life.
A few years later, Zeng resumed playing and achieved victory in two national-level tournaments in 2004 and 2005. However, she paused her involvement in the sport once again when her son began playing.
After a 15-year gap, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zeng decided to give table tennis another try primarily for exercise and maintaining her well-being, but eventually rediscovered her passion for the sport.
“[started playing again] More than anything, just to exercise because we weren’t doing anything locked down in the house except eating,” she told CNN. “I got the bug and once we were able to leave, I immediately wanted to play against someone to see what level I was at – and see if I could I still run or not.”
She started competing in local competitions with support from the association in Iquique, Chile, her place of residence. Subsequently, she earned a spot in the 2023 South American Table Tennis Championships at 57 years old after being encouraged by her friends and family. At the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, she captured the hearts of the Chilean people and earned the chance to represent her country at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Zeng competed against Mariana Sahakian from Lebanon in the preliminary matches of Paris 2024 on Saturday, and unfortunately, she was defeated. Nevertheless, her journey has been an extraordinary one.
“But I don't feel very sad, because this is sport. My husband, my sons, and everyone I love and care about was there shouting my name. I feel so content," Zeng said after her loss.
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