By Xinhua writer Wang Yaguang
TOKYO, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Although not a gold medal favorite, Zhao Ping stole some limelight for being the oldest Chinese athlete at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
"I feel good," said the 56-year-old table tennis player, who sometimes competes against players less than half his age.
Zhao won 3-1 in his first match in Tokyo against Ireland's Colin Judge, aged 26, affirming that his age would not inhibit him from his Paralympic dream.
This was Zhao's fourth Paralympic appearance. As he aged, he had to work harder than younger athletes, and he remains hopeful of competing at the next Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024.
Zhao finished fifth in the men's singles, vowing to remain on the table tennis court as long as he stays fit and healthy.
Having been paralyzed following a car accident in 1999, Zhao first took up table tennis to assist his rehabilitation. However, as time went by, he found confidence and happiness on the court.
"I hope the Paralympics can help more people learn about the disabled community and encourage more disabled people to participate in sports and social life," Zhao said.
Zhao is among the 27 Chinese athletes participating in the Tokyo Paralympics table tennis competitions, of whom 15 are over 30 years old and more than half have competed in at least two Paralympic Games. These veterans have become the mainstay of the team.
Xiong Guiyan, 45, is competing in her second Paralympics. She and her teammates finished second in Rio and this time she is aiming for a gold medal in the women's singles.
After four days of competition, Xiong has defeated four players, all much younger than her. She will play for the Class 9 gold medal against Australia's Lei Lina on Monday.
Xiong, who used to be an able-bodied table tennis athlete in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, chose to become a para-athlete after developing sclerosing osteomyelitis.
Despite her advancing years, Xiong's passion for table tennis has never wavered.
The postponement of the Tokyo Paralympic Games, which opened on Tuesday after a year-long delay due to COVID-19, demanded an extra level of commitment and training, which Xiong said has helped improve her technique and boost her confidence.
A great passion for the sport also encouraged Zhang Yan, a five-time veteran of the Paralympic Games, to continue training and competing.
The 54-year-old was struck by polio in his youth, but encouraged by his mother, he picked up table tennis racket at age seven.
"It made me healthier and happier," he said.
While playing, Zhang often had to move his wheelchair with his left hand. Years of hard training gave his left hand calluses, which frequently wore away and grew back again. "I don't know how many layers of calluses there have been," Zhang said.
He failed to advance at Tokyo after two consecutive losses in the men's singles, but the veteran remained positive.
"To compete again in the Paralympic Games is already a dream come true for me," Zhang said. Enditem
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