Olympic medallist Feng Tianwei to open table tennis academy in Fernvale

SINGAPORE – Having largely lived outside the spotlight since her retirement in 2022, Singapore’s most bemedalled Olympian Feng Tianwei will be launching her own academy on April 15.

The 39-year-old told The Straits Times that the Feng Tianwei International Table Tennis Academy will kick off with around 20 tables and eight coaches from China and Singapore at the new Fernvale Sports and Recreation Space.

In time, she will invite international clubs and national teams to train at her academy, providing her trainees opportunities to spar and exchange ideas. More information will be made available on ftta.sg.

Feng joins a number of Team Singapore athletes who have opened sports academies after retirement, including former teammates Li Jiawei and Wang Yuegu.

She has shared her plans with national sports agency Sport Singapore and the Singapore Table Tennis Association, and the former player believes there will be collaborations on competitions and youth development programmes in the future.

She said: “The Singapore table tennis scene is doing well and I have some ideas that can be applied to our ecosystem. I hope to create opportunities, a community, and combine education and table tennis for young players.”

Harbin-born Feng also told ST that she wants to contribute to the Singapore youth development pipeline, and is confident she can produce a world-beater like herself.

She added: “At nine, I was Heilongjiang’s youth champion, and my parents felt it would be a waste if I went to school and stopped table tennis. If I wasn’t so good, going to school would have been the clearer choice.

“I then went through a very professional set-up and advanced system from a young age. I believe there are many talented young players in Singapore. Perhaps the difference between talented young players in Singapore and China lies in the training hours and intensity.

“If I have talented young players who are willing to commit to my programme, I believe we can achieve something special.”

In 2008, Feng became a Singapore citizen and went on to win three Olympic medals – a team silver from Beijing 2008 and a singles and team bronze from London 2012.

In between, she led Singapore to a 3-1 victory over mighty China in the 2010 world team championships final, in which she contributed two points. She was also the women’s singles world No. 2 in 2010 and 2012.

Her playing career ended on a high after she won the women’s singles, doubles and team gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

She went to complete a two-year master’s degree programme in sport industry management at the Physical Education Teaching and Research Department of Peking University in 2024.

She also worked part-time and remotely with Sport Singapore’s sport development group to develop sport pathways for children and youths, particularly in table tennis. Her four-year stint at the agency ended on March 31.

Such exposure helped her conceive her first academy. While it has training programmes catering to beginners from age four – with no upper age limit – intermediate, advanced, and pro-level players, she feels strongly about developing youth.

A trailblazer on the court, Feng wants to do the same with her academy. Noting that there is a market gap in this area, she wants to use her experience and network to be “the first to eat the crab”, a Chinese saying that describes a pioneer who dares to take risks.

She said: “Many people think that they can either do only full-time sports or full-time studies. I hope to be able to provide a solution for table tennis lovers here to marry both and juggle them well at the same time.

“It would be a waste if good players give up table tennis in their early teens to focus on studies despite still loving the sport. I hope to provide them with an opportunity and programme to be able to do both, and continue to train and compete.

“It doesn’t mean the end game must necessarily be to become a world-class player or someone who plays on the pro tour.

“There are many others who are good enough to play in European or Japanese leagues, and you may be able to do this while studying in these countries. We just need to be more open-minded in our understanding of table tennis and the opportunities.”

At her academy, she will provide the overall direction and training plans while overseeing the training camps, while leaving the bulk of the execution to her coaches.

Although it has been almost four years since she hung up her bat, Feng’s relationship with the sport remains strong.

She added: “This academy satisfies my desire to stay connected to table tennis and contribute to the local scene.

“I’m very happy to combine what I’ve learnt in university with my experiences as a player to open this academy and nurture the next generation of Singapore table tennis players. It’s something meaningful, and more than just a business venture to try to make money.”