A trip to table tennis utopia

Foreign paddlers 'learning from best' as they mix it with China's world-beaters

Competing at the Chengdu FISU World University Games is an exciting experience for all the student-athletes involved, but especially so for the table tennis competitors.

Given China's dominance of table tennis on the global stage, foreign paddlers at the games are keenly aware they are in the presence of the sport's elite in Chengdu.

"My favorite Chinese table tennis players are (Olympic champions) Liu Shiwen and Ding Ning. They are inspirations to me and many players in Brazil," said Livia de Souza Lima, a Brazilian paddler.

"Through table tennis, I have made lots of friends. It's a sport of intelligence, and I like it a lot. I started to play table tennis when I was 11 years old.

"I played football when I was a kid. We all play football as kids in Brazil, just as many Chinese kids play table tennis. But as soon as I tried table tennis, it became my passion."

That same passion is shared by Turkish competitor Ece Harac, from Nisantasi University.

"I have been playing table tennis since I was 8, and I have been playing for 13 years. I first practiced tennis, and then tried table tennis at school. I fell in love with the sport, but I did not have any expectations for a serious career when I first played," said Harac.

"Gradually, I started to win medals at European championships. And then I just told myself that I want to do this. One day, I thought to myself, I want to compete in the Olympics, and in the future I want to become a professional table tennis player. "

Harac said that her favorite Chinese table tennis player is Chen Meng, the reigning Olympic women's singles champion.

"I like how Chen Meng plays. I know many other Chinese players, and they are all really good. I wish all the teams, of every sport here, all the best. We are all gonna try our best at the games," Harac added.

"The organization is excellent, and this is a huge event. They prepared every detail very well for the athletes."

For Gianluca Walther, the coach of the German men's team, the World University Games are a learning experience for student-athletes, on and off the table.

"There are so many different cultures for our players to get in touch with. Apart from table tennis, this will be a great life lesson for them, to be here to communicate with other people and cultures," said Walther.

"We have five men's team players and five players for the women's team. They are studying different majors, including sports and economics. The competitions here will be really tough, so we have to do our homework and analyze our rivals.

"We need to challenge them and hopefully have a deep run at the games. We've been preparing for the event for quite a long time. We are very curious how the games will go for us."

Walther admitted to being a little star-struck by the presence of China's three-time Olympic champion Ding Ning at the games.

"I noticed that Ding Ning is here. It's quite impressive to see a person like her. When she's here, everybody listens to her and watches how she acts. She's here to support and inspire the Chinese team. It's great to have such a legend around us," said Walther.

"There are so many Chinese players for us to learn from. After all, they are the world's top-ranking players. We learn from them all the time, as we want to learn from the best in the world."

The Netherlands team is also endeavoring to soak up as much information and experience from this elite environment as possible.

"We have one men's player and two women's players, who study business and language in the university. They are playing in the highest level Dutch league back home, but the World University Games will be very challenging for them. Our rivals are very strong," said Dutch coach Lars Laurentius Wildenborg.

"The lesson for them here is how to handle the pressure at big events. It's very different from lower-level tournaments. This will be a very valuable experience for them."

Wildenborg admitted that even watching the Chinese team train is a real treat for his players.

"Another lesson for our players is to let them learn from them. I always tell my players, if you work hard, you can be the best of yourselves," he added.

"I hope they can have a deep run at the event."