Chinese couple run the only table tennis center in DC

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‍A couple from China have opened Washington DC’s only full-time table tennis center – using ping pong to bridge the cultural divide between the US and China.

Duan Changping and Charlene Liu fell in love while attending college in Anhui Province, China, in the 1960s – in love with each other and with ping pong.

“He always won. I could not get five points against him at that time,” said Charlene Liu, remembering her early matches against her future husband.

Charlene Liu (L) and Duan Changping /Photo via Butterflyonline

After marrying, they taught table tennis in China and later moved to the US near Washington, DC while continuing to teach and play. They were surprised to learn that there was no full-time table tennis facility in the US capital, so in 2014 they opened the Washington DC Table Tennis Center.

“People love it… they think table tennis is very good for their health,” Liu said.

They started from nothing and now hundreds of people come to play each month. Players of all ages and many backgrounds come for coaching, tournaments and league matches.

Their new business is a success, but they have a bigger goal in mind: Spreading their love of ping pong in the US and using it as a cultural bridge between the two countries.

People play ping-pong at Duan Changping and Charlene Liu's table tennis center. /CGTN Photo

“When people play ping pong they have one common language: ping pong. They can talk about technique and famous players and in a short time become good friends,” says Duan Changping.

Steadily, more and more Americans are taking up table tennis at the center.

“Before, most of the kids [who came at the center] were from Chinese families. Now I think [it's] less than half. In American families, more and more kids are playing,” says Duan.

11164km