Posted by Denis Cummings to Finding Dulcinea
Ping-pong has been a major part of China’s culture since the 1950s, when Mao Zedong declared it to be the national sport. China has been the world’s ping-pong power ever since, and Chinese-born players are dominating this year’s Olympics playing for China and for other countries.
Chinese citizens are enamored with game, and people of all ages and backgrounds flock to play on tables in public parks. “It’s striking how much of China’s sporting identity is built around this one sport,” writes the Kansas City Star’s Joe Posnanski. “You see men and women, young and old, all playing interchangeably. Then you go back and turn on the television and four different channels feature Olympic table tennis. Then you open up a couple of Chinese newspapers, and you see table tennis photos and stories everywhere.”
However, Maureen Fan of The Washington Post believes that ping-pong’s popularity is waning among China’s youth because other sports are gaining in popularity.
In preparation for hosting the Games, the Chinese Olympic Committee focused on developing world-class athletes in many sports where they have not traditionally excelled. As a result, China is having its best Olympics ever, thriving in sports like gymnastics and swimming.
Additionally, basketball has become incredibly popular ever since this year’s Olympic flag-bearer, Yao Ming, joined the NBA in 2002. Fans packed the arena to watch China’s opening game against the U.S., cheering for both Yao and their favorite NBA stars on the American team.
With the increasing popularity of so many sports, ping-pong may be getting lost in the shuffle for younger generations. Kids who would once idolize a world-class ping-pong player now idolize Yao or one of China’s gold-medal winning gymnasts.
However, most people believe that ping-pong will remain entrenched in China’s national identity despite the rise of other sports. “Nowadays, people play many other kinds of sports,” says CCTV producer Li Jinjing. “But it doesn’t mean that ping-pong can be replaced. China has 5,000 years of history, and after all this time, China is still irreplaceable.”
Find out more at Findingdulcinea.com
Leave Your Comments