Table tennis player Zeng Zhiying, 58, aims to compete at 2028 Olympics
From the 58-year-old table tennis player making her Olympic debut to the equestrian rider competing in his seventh Games at the age of 62, at Paris 2024 athletes of all ages are making an impact in their sport. The Straits Times looks at three athletes who are proving that age is no barrier to achieving their dreams.
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Zeng Zhiying of Chile with her husband Arturo Aravena and sons Felipe Aravena (left) and Wang Zhixin.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
PARIS – To the world, Zeng “Tania” Zhiying is the Chilean table tennis player who has become a hit in Paris after making her Olympic debut at 58.
But for Felipe Aravena, Zeng is “just my mum”.
The 23-year-old was with six other family members and friends at the South Paris Arena on July 27 to cheer her on. And while Zeng lost 4-1 to Lebanon’s Mariana Sahakian in her opening match, Aravena, who is the younger of her two sons, was still beaming with pride.
He told The Straits Times: “When she started playing again during the Covid-19 pandemic, we would hit at home and we have a serving machine, but we didn’t think she would turn pro.
“It’s so strange. In 2020, she was just my mum but now a lot of people know her. When we go to restaurants, people want to take photos with her, and she also gets recognised on the streets. It’s a shock, but it’s really cool and we are really happy for her.”
Zeng’s road to the Olympics is indeed one less travelled.
Born in Guangzhou, China, in 1966, she learnt to play table tennis from her mother, who was a coach. By 12, she was a national junior champion and made the senior team four years later.
Remarkably, she was only 20 when she retired as the chopper could not cope with the introduction of two-coloured bats, which allowed players to more easily predict the speed and spin of the ball.
In 1989, she accepted an offer to coach schoolchildren in Chile. She settled down there, picked up Spanish and worked as a trader of Chinese goods.
It was not till 2003 that she picked up a bat again, as she wanted to encourage her elder son Wang Zhixin, then 13, to lead a more active lifestyle. She started playing in local events and won national tournaments but stopped again when Wang became more independent.
The itch returned when she was bored during the pandemic, and in her mid-50s, she made another comeback, won regional tournaments – sometimes against men – and passed the national team trials for the 2023 South American Table Tennis Championships. She helped Chile clinch the women’s team title and silver in the singles and doubles.
Zeng was congratulated by Chilean President Gabriel Boric and became a local sensation. She became an international star when she earned her Olympic debut via a qualifying tournament in May.
Things have become more serious as she told ST how she follows a strict regimen, training three hours daily and avoiding fried food like empanadas (a pastry similar to curry puffs).
Her addiction to table tennis and competition, however, is harder to give up. The world No. 150 said: “Before the match, I didn’t know whether to sit or stand. I was so emotional, and even more so when I walked out and heard my family cheering for me. Time seemed to pass so fast, and I didn’t want that. The whole arena was also behind me and I’m so grateful for that.
“I’ll try to qualify again in 2028, but regardless, I will continue playing in professional or amateur events because I’m very happy and have a strong desire to play every day and make new friends.”
