Saturday June 27 and the eyes of Paris 2024 were set, among other sports, on table tennis. The day after the inauguration it arrived with power and several disciplines starting. The stories, in addition, of effort and improvement of great athletes were becoming known. And one of them was that of Zhiying Zeng, who at 58 years old made her debut in table tennis at the Olympic Games and did so representing another country where she was born. The one now called “Tania Zeng“, Chinese by birth and Chilean by migration, showed the world that it is never too late to fulfill your dreams.
Zeng was dedicated to table tennis in China, until 35 years ago when she had to migrate thousands of kilometers to South America. It was her choice, because a former coach told her about a club in Arica that could welcome her. She arrived in the north of the country, where the desert and arid lands contrast with the jungle life of southern Chile. She says that it caught his attention, that she didn’t know where it went. The culture was different, also the language and customs. But she was surviving.
Daughter of an industrial engineer father and a table tennis coach mother, she became closer to the sport. At the age of 9 she began to practice it and at the age of 12 she was already competing with adults like a professional, but her life changed when she had to leave for Chile. Years passed and her love for table tennis remained under the bridge. Of course, paused because when the Covid 19 pandemic hit the world, it was the opportunity to reconnect with the sport that she always loved.
In Chile she dedicated herself to selling furniture, until four years ago she was discovered and passed the selection process until she reached the Chilean team. At that point in her life, she already had nationality and could represent Team Chile. Although she was already on the national table tennis circuit, her greatest recognition came in 2023, when the entire country met her at the Pan American Games in Santiago, when she was the oldest athlete in the local delegation and attracted attention for her charisma and good performance, as she won bronze with the women’s team. There she earned the nickname “Aunt Tania“, by which she is affectionately known in Chile.
Weeks before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Tania would see her greatest dream come true. Although far from her native country, she decided to represent the nation that welcomed her and participate in the most important sporting event in the world. Her debut was difficult and she lost in the first round to the Lebanese Mariana Sahakian. “I am proud to be Chilean, I apologize for not having won today,” said Zeng touching the hearts of all Chileans.
“The feeling of being here, together with my family, it’s already everything won. I am very happy and content, excited on the court and also because of the love of the people,” added the tennis player who captivated the world. She lost in the first round, but won the hearts of the spectators and delivered one of the most captivating stories of the Olympic Games so far. Not for nothing was she the most requested in the press area after the competition. And although he is 58 years old, retirement is not yet an option. Will we see her in Los Angeles 2028? We will have to wait. The truth is that the Chinese woman who decided to compete for Chile set an example that it is never too late to dream.
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