Zeng Zhiying has made Olympic history as the 58-year-old becomes the oldest debutant from Chile at the Games. However, it wasn’t going to be a fairytale all the way as she lost four sets to one to 46-year-old Mariana Sahakian.
Zeng discarded her plans to represent China at 18 after being discouraged due to a change in rules at the Olympics; Table Tennis changed out two sided paddles, making her eventually retire from the game at just 20 years old.
Subsequently, she took on coaching roles in Chile to impact Table Tennis development in the South American nation. Fast forward to 2000, she decided to abandon the Table Tennis world and get a “real job”. However, the Covid-19 outbreak and isolation in 2020 made her get a table and resumed playing.
She made it a goal to make the Paris 2024 Olympics representing Chile, and at age 58, she actualized her dreams and made her debut at the Olympics.
“My dad was definitely watching on TV. He saw me through getting into the provisional team, and then the national team,” Zeng stated afterwards. “It was our family’s dream and mine to play in the Olympic Games. I’m now 58 years old and my dad is 92. I finally made that dream come true for him”