Monday, October 30th.- One of the standout athletes on the host team of the Pan American Games is Chilean table tennis player of Chinese origin, Zeng Zhiying. 

The 57-year-old Asian athlete made her debut in Santiago 2023 on Monday against the 28-year-old Dominican, Eva Brito Peña, at the Centro de Entrenamiento Olímpico (CEO). 

And she did it in great style, winning in six sets with scores of 7-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-5, and 11-8 in 40 minutes of play. 

It was a remarkable performance as she lost the first two sets but then dominated the next four sets with classic play against an opponent half her age. 

"For me, everything is very special. I trained every day with the team and did a lot of physical work. Sometimes, I forget my age during training. I used to play with an outdated style, and now, I'm catching up with the pace," Zeng Zhiying told the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio. 

Zeng Zhiying arrived in Chile in 1989 at the age of 23, settling in the city of Arica, and now she lives in Iquique, both located in the northern part of the country. 

She is also known as Tania Zeng but prefers to be called Zeng Zhiying. She was a professional table tennis player in China but took a break from the sport until 2019. 

"That year, I met more people who played and they invited me to resume practice... At first, I was apprehensive, not knowing how they would receive me because I am from a different generation... I have played for more than 30 years and have seen a lot in table tennis. There is a different pace; it's like another sport. But once I arrived to meet them, it was as if we had known each other forever. They welcomed me very well and gave me a lot of encouragement," she added. 
Written by Marcelo González / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport
Ph: Javier Vergara / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport