Taiwan-US traditional weekly table tennis match is more interesting with random pairing of doubles | ball games | Zheng Xinru

[The Epoch Times, May 31, 2023](Reported by Epoch Times reporter Xu Manyuan in Los Angeles) In the United States, American football, baseball and basketball are all popular ball games, attracting countless fans and forming a complete sports industry chain, but When it comes to the favorite sports of the Chinese, table tennis is still inseparable. The Los Angeles Taiwan American Traditional Week will hold a table tennis match on May 27 (Saturday). This year, the “doubles” will be paired by random draw. Zheng Xinru, deputy director of the Luoqiao Center, is the only female player participating in the competition.

The important thing is to communicate with everyone

This year, the Los Angeles Taiwan-US Traditional Week table tennis adopts a point-based round-robin game. Each team will play eight games first, and the top four players in points will then play a promotion game. A total of nine teams participated, with Huang Mingxi and Zhang Zhixuan winning the championship, Lin Yixiang and Lan Yang as the runner-up, Zhuang Fuxiong and Wen Nengxing as the third runner-up, and Liao Peiming and Huang Lizhi as the runner-up.

Among the all-male players, Zheng Xinru stands out. She said that table tennis is not only a key event for Taiwan’s Olympic medals, but also a sport suitable for all ages. She was exposed to table tennis when she was studying, but she has not practiced for a long time, so she “focuses on participation”. Zheng Xinru said: “The most important thing is to learn and communicate with everyone. Although it is not named, it is very pleasant to relive the fun of playing table tennis.”

Lin Yixiang, the convener of the table tennis competition at the Taiwan Association, said that table tennis, like every sport, requires persistent practice. Since around 2000, he and his golf friends have practiced table tennis at the Taiwan Hall every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Except for the suspension of this activity due to the epidemic, it has continued to this day.

Lin Yixiang said that there are still more than 20 regular golfers, more than half of whom have retired from playing in their prime. The golfers have a wide range of occupations, including expatriates from business, banking, and technology, as well as doctors and geologists. Zhao Boxiang, who used to be a table tennis coach in Taiwan, has played for more than 60 years and is still going strong. He often teaches everyone how to play.

The chemical effect produced by the lottery combination

The semi-finals consisted of 5 games and 3 wins, with 11 goals in each game. In order to make the event more interesting and fair, the organizer requires all doubles partners to be decided by lottery, so the tacit understanding of the two doubles can only be accumulated one game at a time on the match day. However, most players believe that such a “random” combination has produced many interesting chemical effects, and teammates can better develop their on-the-spot adaptability.

The convener Lin Yixiang teamed up with Lan Yang. They met their rivals Huang Mingxi and Zhang Zhixuan in the championship game. The two sides hit the ball back and forth, and the audience outside the court watched them exclaimed again and again. Players all believe that table tennis is good for health. It can not only slow down aging, increase body immunity, but also improve eyesight, prevent dementia, and treat depression. Therefore, everyone is urged to join in playing table tennis.

Zhang Zhixuan, the doubles champion, is currently working in Northern California. Because he has practiced in the Taiwan Club for 6 or 7 years, he has made a group of golf friends who love each other, so he still returns to Los Angeles to participate in the annual competition. I did not expect to be able to win the championship in the end. I am very happy . Another doubles champion, Huang Mingxi, is a dentist. He said modestly: It was because of the luck of the lottery that he formed an alliance with a strong general, and the two team complement each other, so they won the championship. He also said that table tennis is the least injury-prone sport next to swimming. There is no age limit, and it can train speed, reaction, eyesight, fighting spirit, endurance, and most importantly, it can also “freeze age” to maintain a young mind and posture.

Taiwan American Tradition Week General Caller Ran Ruiyi, former General Caller Huang Zhaojun, and Deputy Director Liu Daixin of the Luoqiao Center, etc., all enthusiastically cheered for the players outside the court. Although they have less contact with table tennis on weekdays, they also enjoy watching it with great interest. They believe that holding table tennis matches can not only strengthen their bodies, but also enhance the friendship between Taiwanese folks. ◇

Responsible Editor: Submission