Former Chinese paddler excited to make Olympic debut at 58 for Chile

Former Chinese table tennis player Zeng Zhiying will make her Olympic debut at 58 at the 2024 Paris Games on behalf of Chile. In an interview with CGTN Sports Scene's Greg Laffradi, the inspirational veteran shared her excitement as well as how she managed to stay competitive at this age.

"Very exciting. This is my first Olympics, so I feel very happy and excited," Zeng said. "On the Olympic stage, I just wanted to show my real abilities. The athletes at the Olympics are all very excellent, so I accomplished my task by just showing what I've got. There's no difference among ages in competitions. You'll face whoever you're against, no matter the age. I don't feel I'm much older than them. I feel we are the same as competitors. We are equal on either side of the table."

Zeng became a professional player when she was 16. However, the competitions in the Chinese national team has always been nothing but fierce because of the country's deep pool of talents for table tennis. As a result, Zeng wasn't able to play at the Olympic Games.

Having retired as a player when she was 20, Zeng was then invited to Chile as a table tennis coach. Having picked up her paddle again during the COVID-19 pandemic, she was selected into the Chilean national team at 57.

"I usually train from Monday to Friday and play competitive matches on Saturday," Zeng said. "I train for half the day. I want to train from morning to evening, but my body doesn't allow it. In order to stay fit without injuries, I train around three hours a day and play both amateur and professional matches. Depending on my physical level, if I can get through the trials and be selected, I will definitely continue playing table tennis. If I'm not selected, I'll still play amateur matches. The reason why I take part in competitions is that I'm happy to play them and put pressure on myself, so I'll continue playing."