Enter the [Chinese world] > >
For many people, sports is both an interest and a career. Among the American table tennis team members who participated in the Beijing Olympic Games, two Chinese players are like this. For them, playing table tennis is not only their own interest, but also their own career, which has achieved a perfect combination. First of all, the Chinese American table tennis player is Crystal Huang. This year, she fought in Beijing on behalf of the American table tennis team. Although she lost to a strong player and had a mediocre record, for her, her trip to Beijing has become an unforgettable experience. So, how did she get on the road of table tennis? What opportunities did table tennis bring to her life? Next, we approached Crystal Huang with a reporter from KTSF26 in San Francisco, USA.
Crystal Huang
Crystal Huang, a native of Hunan Province, began to contact table tennis at the age of seven. At that time, the school teacher asked everyone who wanted to play table tennis, and all the students were interested. For gifted children, training activities include running and skipping rope. Her highest ping-pong achievement in China was just entering the school league.
Crystal Huang never worked as a professional player, but worked as an accountant in the government department of Chang ‘an Town, Dongguan, Guangdong. In 1999, my family immigrated to America and took root in Los Angeles. At first, she worked in a computer company, and her ping-pong life began in America.
Crystal Huang: At that time, when I went to work, I had very little money. I had nothing without a diploma. Later, a friend introduced table tennis, and they went to play, so did I. There were also many local competitions nearby, and they won many championships. Someone asked me to teach the ball, so I have been teaching it.
Crystal Huang found that the racket in her hand made her regain her voice and her previous playing level. He once won the American doubles champion and mixed doubles champion, and came second in singles.
Crystal Huang also hopes to do its part in raising the standards of the United States. At the end of last year, the California table tennis club was opened in El Monte, Los Angeles.
Crystal Huang said that it is rare to find a professional table tennis court in the United States, so he decided to open this table tennis center to fill this vacancy, so that one player who loves table tennis can get together. A place to exchange skills.
"The table here is a high-quality professional table tennis table imported from Germany, and the plastic floor is also specially imported from China."
The club is full of table tennis. It has been open for half a year, with about 100 members and seven pool tables. It is usually full at weekends. Crystal Huang himself teaches the ball in the club and cultivates new blood, such as Huang Zihao, who started playing table tennis at the age of seven.
Huang zihao
Huang Zihao, a table tennis player: "I learned from my sister Crystal Huang that her ball is a little more stable and very stable, so I will try my best to exercise my ball better."
In addition to practicing and teaching, Crystal Huang spent the rest of her time taking care of club affairs, and her generous personality made her many friends on and off the court.
Chinese American table tennis player Wang Chen.
For Crystal Huang, the field that table tennis has opened up for her is not only in the competition field, but also in the club and in the broad daily life. Next, I’d like to introduce another Chinese American table tennis player, Wang Chen, who also attended the Olympic Games in Beijing this time. Unlike Huang Yaoxi’s experience of practicing table tennis at a high level when he came to the United States, Wang Chen was already famous in the table tennis world when he was in China. She has won the World Young Women’s Championship and the World Women’s Team Championship. However, he retired and moved to the United States eight years ago. So what wonderful things did table tennis bring to her life in a foreign country? What kind of feeling and emotion did she get from table tennis?
Table tennis talent was discovered at the age of 7 and entered the professional team at the age of 11. Wang Chen recalled the interesting experience of being selected by a PE teacher to play table tennis when he was seven years old in Beijing.
Wang Chen, an American Olympic table tennis player: "Every class selects a few clever children, and the box is placed three or four steps away, and then you throw three balls. If you throw all of them, you are chosen, but few of them can throw all three balls, so I threw them."
Under the coach’s cultivation, Wang Chen won a Beijing amateur children’s championship, winning a child two years older than her, and was later elected to a sports school, and joined a professional team at the age of 11, from which Wang Chen’s ping-pong career began.
He entered the national youth team at the age of 13 and was elected to the national team at the age of 17, which was listed as the key training for young people. At the age of 20, she won the world young women’s championship in Tokyo and was regarded as the reserve force of China team. After waiting for the main athletes to retire, they will go to represent China in the World Series.
The peak of Wang Chen’s playing in China was to win the team championship in the World Championship in 1997. Under the condition of rushing to retire, Wang Chen chose to retire one year later, at the age of 24.
After retiring, Wang Chen, seeing her sister in New Jersey, USA, successfully established a new life and decided to emigrate.
At first, Wang Chen worked in her sister’s fur clothing store and played some games in New Jersey. Some people also heard that a former China national team player came in the middle and asked her to teach the ball. At that time, Wang Chen was able to queue up for ten hours of classes one day and often came home after midnight.
"I feel that I am prepared to eat this bitterness from the heart, that is, I am ready, I will no longer think that I am a world champion, and I can’t do anything, just waiting for others to praise me, that is, to start over. This is the feeling."
When Wang Chen first came to new york in 2001, she had a soft spot for this city. What inspired her most was the spirit that if she worked hard, she could achieve success in this city.
A year later, Wang Chen became attached to a Polish Jew who was captured by Nazi Germany in World War II. Under the guidance of Wang Chen, he played ping-pong five days a week and helped Wang Chen to open a ping-pong club named after Wang Chen himself here in Upper West Side.
"When I came to new york, I felt that I grew up here, learned a lot, knew how to treat people, make money, know how to manage this club, and how to be a good wife. Everything happened in new york and new york."
Yes, Wang Chen met her husband of the same age while playing ball, exercising and swimming at nearby Columbia University. The two are speculative in character and have a good marriage. They often discuss Wang Chen’s performance on the court, and Zhou Yue even helps to download the video of Wang Chen’s opponent for her reference.
Zhou Yue (Mr. Wang Chen): "It’s worse to watch the ball than to play it. In fact, I think I’d rather not watch it, but sometimes, sitting at home, you may not be able to help it, knowing that she is playing at this time, and climbing online to see the scores."
"I cheered for me during the World Series, and my voice was hoarse. This is involuntary."
At the Beijing Olympic Games, Wang Chen didn’t reach the final and won the medal, but for her, being able to appear in the Beijing Olympic Games has already fulfilled her dream. Moreover, in Wang Chen’s present life, playing table tennis is just an interest and hobby, and running your own table tennis club is the key. I also wish Crystal Huang and Wang Chen, as well as other athletes, to find fun in their favorite sports and achieve their careers at the same time. Ok, we will broadcast Chinese stories for you later. Welcome to stay tuned.
Editor: Luo Xing