Zhiying Zeng -better known as Tania Zeng- He turned 58 a few days before competing in the Paris Olympic Games.
The professional table tennis player is of Chinese origin but is seeking a medal for Chile, where she has lived for more than 35 years.
His career has been as meteoric as his popularity.
In Chile, everyone knows her, encourages her, and affectionately calls her “Aunt Tania” even though she has only been competing for the country for 4 years.
Before that, his life was radically different: He was dedicated to selling furniture in Iquiquea city in northern Chile.
Now, at the Olympics in France, She will be one of the oldest athletes. But that doesn’t seem to matter to him.
“I always say to myself: ‘No, don’t think about your age.’ If I’ve made it this far, I have to fight like everyone else,” she says.
With a Spanish marked by her strong Chinese accent, the athlete tells BBC Mundo her story.
I was born in central China, in a city called Zhengzhouin the year 1966.
My father was an industrial engineer. My mother, table tennis coach from the selection of the province where we lived.
I grew up in a house located in a special village for sports coaches.
When I was 9 years old, my father decided that I had to play table tennis, just like my mother.
And that’s how I started training.
At the age of 12 she was already playing like a professional. But a decade later, I decided to retire from training and started studying.
Just at that time I received an invitation from the north of Chile, from a Chinese coach who was there and who worked with the table tennis team.
He wrote to me and told me that Chile was quiet, it had a beach and sea, a very beautiful landscape and friendly people.
It wasn’t an easy decision. I had a hard time with the language and the fact that it was so far away. My father was worried too.
But I left anyway.
New life in Chile
I arrived in Chile, specifically to the city of Aricathe year 1989.
When I got off the plane, I couldn’t believe it. It was just desert, no grass or trees. ‘What is this?’ I thought.
The first thing that struck me was that the Chileans greeted me face to face. It was very strange for me and it made me stiff.
I joined a table tennis club in Arica, where I felt very welcome. I taught the children through signs and laughter because I didn’t understand anything.
I had a lot of free time so I started studying Spanish and meeting people, many Chinese.
They explained to me what Arica was like and told me that trade was very good as it was on the border with Peru.
There were no merchants in my family; I didn’t know anything. But I decided to start a business.
I started a furniture company.
In the meantime, I met my husband, a Chilean, by pure chance. We were both clients of the same bank, we started looking at each other and we got hooked.
We had two children who are now 33 and 24 years old.
After living 10 years in Arica, We decided to move 300 kilometers south, to the city of Iquique.
During all those years, I completely forgot about table tennis.
I didn’t have time. I had small children and my job was very demanding.
That’s how I left it. And I thought it would be forever.
Play again
But during the Covid-19 pandemic my life changed.
All the businesses were closed, people couldn’t go out, and I had nothing to do.
There was a tennis table in my house that we weren’t using. I looked at it, dusted it off, and thought: this is the opportunity.
And that’s how I got back into playing.
I played for an hour and a half every day. And I started to like it.
I realized that I was doing well, that I was doing well and that he was able to run.
In mid-2020, I started playing for the Iquique Club.
And in 2021 I entered championships.
Whether I played with men or youngsters, I still won. So much so that we achieved first place in the national league.
That gave me a lot of confidence because I was playing with the best in the country. I thought: ‘Now I will return to my youth and train in high performance. I’m going to play the best I can.’
Little by little, I qualified for different competitions. First, the South American Games, then the Pan American Games.
In 2023, I quit all my work. I didn’t care about anything except table tennis.
A dream come true
I always dreamed of going to the Olympics.
When I qualified, I was very excited.
I remembered my parents wanting me to be a table tennis player.
Particularly from my mother, from the years when she was training me. She wanted me to go far. Unfortunately she didn’t get to see me because she passed away in 1997.
But I feel like it’s helping me on this path. I feel her with me, always.
For me, training at 58 years old, at the pace of young people, it has not been easy.
At one point I thought it might be an impediment. But deep inside, I always tell myself: ‘No, don’t think about your age.’ If I’ve made it this far, I have to fight like everyone else.
So when I get to the court I forget about myself, my age or any pain I have. Because I am one of those who believes that if you have a dream you can always achieve it.
What I like about table tennis is that it is very complete, you use intelligence, physique and agility.
Your body and mind have to be focused on the table. And it’s very entertaining. There are so many types of game. You have to be able to read your opponent well and keep a cool head.
“I feel 100% Chilean”
My first goal at the Olympic Games is to enjoy myself. And, of course, to win.
I will fight in the first round. And I will continue to fight in the second and hopefully more. But if I make it through two rounds, I will be very happy too.
Of course I would like to give a medal to Chile.
I feel 100% Chilean.
I have lived in that country more years than I lived in China.
I started a family and my two children were born, who are absolutely Chilean.
I like their culture, customs and food. My favorite dish is pantrucaa soup with chicken broth, egg and pasta dough, ideal for winter.
I have learned many Chileanisms, such as the words ‘you know‘ either ‘webon‘.
It makes me very happy to receive so much love from Chileans. They help me and support me. And I feel that I have more strength to give the best of myself.
I don’t know if there is a recipe for success. But I think it is very important. trust yourself, without fear, with courage and move forward. It doesn’t matter your age or anything else.
We must fight and struggle until the end.
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