Two Chinese female table tennis players, once teammates on China's national team over 40 years ago, never had the chance to compete in the Olympics representing China. Decades later, Ni Xialian, 61, and Tania Zeng, 58, found themselves competing in Paris Olympics for their second home.
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00:00Two table tennis players, who were once teammates on China's national team over 40 years ago,
00:07have reunited in the Paris Olympic Games.
00:11During their time in China, Ni Xiaolian and Tanya Zhang never had the chance to compete
00:16in the Olympics.
00:18But now, the two found themselves competing in Paris for their second home.
00:22I'm into the life, I'm into the team, I want to bring the team to get a good result.
00:28That's my goal.
00:29Yes, I'm very happy, because I feel that the Chinese government has given me this opportunity.
00:35I think it's a rare opportunity.
00:37In China, even if you go to compete, you won't be able to do it.
00:42The level of competition in China is too high.
00:4661-year-old Ni and 58-year-old Zhang are among the oldest athletes competing in the Paris Olympics.
00:54Ni won the mixed doubles and team event in the World Championships with China in 1983
01:00before moving to Luxembourg in 1986, after which she competed in six Olympics.
01:07As for Zhang, who had stopped playing the sport for decades until 2022, it will be first-ever Olympics.
01:15In 2022, I didn't have any other dreams or goals.
01:24I just wanted to pick up the racket and train my body.
01:27I wanted to play in our club and get to know more people.
01:31But my teammates at the club said that I had never lost a match.
01:36I had never lost a match at their level.
01:38I had never lost a match against a boy.
01:40So they encouraged me to take part in the competition.
01:46I went because I had the courage.
01:48And I got this position.
01:51In the beginning, it was tough.
01:53In the beginning, I went to Europe.
01:54I didn't think I wanted to play for other countries.
01:57It's not my goal.
01:58I was a top 12 champion in Europe.
02:01So I gave up the Olympics in the USA.
02:05But when you have lived there for more years, you have feelings for the people.
02:10You understand that sport is only sport.
02:13It has nothing to do with politics or nationality.
02:16So that's why I changed.