Zeng Zhiying of Chile competes during women's singles preliminary round table tennis match against Zeng Zhiying of Chile at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, on July 27, 2024. [Photo by Wang Dongzhen/Xinhua]

Although Zeng Zhiying's Olympic table tennis debut on Saturday ended in defeat in the women's singles preliminary round at the South Paris Arena 4, the 58-year-old, who represents Chile, said she was proud of her first ever Olympic journey.

"I felt so excited. I was so restless. During my warm-up, I could not stand still, could not sit still," said Zeng of her Olympic debut. Born in China, Zeng initially retired from competitive table tennis after missing out on selection for China's squad for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and moved to Chile later that decade to coach at a school.

"There was a little fear and nerves knowing how big this event is. My coach told me, 'you have been to so many big events, what are you afraid of? It's just a competition.' But this is, after all, the Olympic Games. It's not any other competition. So I felt really excited," said Zeng.

"I could hear my sons cheering for me from the stands. Of course, I wanted to win. But I don't feel very sad, because this is sport. My husband, my sons, everyone I love and care about were there shouting my name. I feel so content," the 58-year-old added.

Zeng gave high praise to her 46-year-old opponent, Mariana Sahakian of Lebanon. "I think I did a good job today. However my opponent was really patient. She was a little nervous in the first set, but then she kept playing her style. I wanted to disrupt her but failed, so I think she played very well and her style was very good."

Discussing her family's support, Zeng said: "My father and my brother are definitely watching on television. My father is 92 years old. Since I was young, he played a big part in me playing table tennis. He saw me through getting into China's provincial team, then to the national team."

"It was our family's dream, my dream, to get into the Olympic Games. That didn't come true previously. But it's OK. I finally made that dream come true for him," said Zeng, who had only taken up playing table tennis competitively again during the COVID-19 pandemic. "My dad sent me a video message yesterday to encourage me, to cheer me on. That was really emotional for me."

She also recalled her late mother, who was a table tennis coach, with emotion. "My mother was a coach at the Henan provincial team for over 30 years. She passed away in 1997, so it's a pity that she she didn't live to see me reach the Olympic Games. But I feel that she has been watching over me through this whole journey. I believe she still saw it somehow."

Touching on her future plans, Zeng said as long as she remains uninjured, she will continue to play. "Even if I can't play at this level, I can still play at the Masters level. As long as you are happy, you can do it. This adds so much value and meaning to my life, so I'll continue playing."

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