Friendship develops in the table tennis arena
Do you know how popular table tennis is globally? Just look at how many players and teams have come to this event!
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Nanjing Olympic Sports Center Arena transformed into a mini global village on October 19th. The 5th Amity Cup International Table Tennis Philanthropic Tournament and the Table Tennis Friendship Tournament for Foreigners in Jiangsu has commenced. This event has attracted 141 teams, with a total of 866 participants. There are 20 international teams, comprising nearly a hundred expats from 31 countries of various ages and backgrounds.
Athlete Liu Jing, the women's doubles table tennis champion at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, attended the opening ceremony as the guest of honor for the first serve.
Co-hosted by Jiangsu People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Amity Foundation, Word4Asia Consulting International Inc., Jiangsu Sports Industry Group Co.,Ltd., and other organizations, the Amity Cup has been upgraded to an international event for the first time.
Dr. Eugene Wood, President of Word4Asia Consulting International Inc., told the reporter, "There are so many things which can divide us, language, culture, the ocean... and to find something like sports which brings us together is very, very important. And we can build on what was begun by Zhuang Zedong, and when president (Nixon) came in 1972."
Scott Preiss, a member of the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame, also known as the Ping Pong Man, is now coaching table tennis players, including those with disabilities such as paralysis, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. He said, "I think this sport is very good for everybody's quality of life. I truly believe that Ping Pong brings the world together."
Reporter: Weng Yaxin
Cameraman: Zhang Jiawang
Post Editor: Liang Haoyu