Amid the ongoing Paris Olympics partially defined by Gen-Z athletes and emerging teen superstars, one Chinese amateur table tennis player is showing that there's a place on the world sporting arena for seniors too and age is never a shackle to dreams.
Jiang Zhaozhao, 84, brought back two golds in mixed doubles and men's doubles and one silver in men's singles at the 2024 World Table Tennis Masters Championships in Rome, Italy last month.
The tournament, divided into 11 age groups with the oldest age group over 90 years old, has attracted more than 6,000 table tennis masters from more than 100 countries and regions around the world to participate.
"This competition was quite tough, gathering 6,100 players from 109 countries (and regions). There were 164 players in the 80-year-old age group alone, many of whom were retirees from professional national teams. We almost lost in the men's doubles round of 16, but we relied on perseverance and confidence to snatch a victory out of defeat," he said.
Jiang had an indissoluble bond with table tennis when he was six and received a pair of rackets and a box of ping-pong balls as a birthday gift from his father. Despite not becoming a professional table tennis player, he never gave up his passion for the sport, accumulating a wall of trophies and medals over the years.
"I got all the medals after I retired. There are at least 300 medals. I may not win or get medals at some games, but I am not afraid of losing. Failure is good for you because I can learn from it. Even now, I'm not behind in the game," he said.
Jiang still insisted on practicing in a stadium in east China's Shaoxing City, doing two-hour sessions four to five times a week. Inspired by 61-year-old Olympian Ni Xialian, the octogenarian said he will continue to play table tennis until the age of 100.
"Because there is no age limit for international table tennis competitions, I am more confident that I can play until I am 100 years old," he said.
84-year-old table tennis player fearlessly chasing professional dream
As Syria navigates its post-conflict landscape, the top priority is to guarantee the safety and security of its citizens and public institutions, said Hadi Al-Bahra, the president of Syria's main opposition.
Syrian armed opposition forces seized control of Damascus on Dec 8, ending over five decades of the Assad family rule. The rapid change of political landscape in Syria sparked uncertainty about the country's future.
In outlining a roadmap for transition, Al-Bahra, president of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, emphasized the need to reboot the country's economy and restore stability.
"If you split it into stages, the first stage is really making sure that the safety and security of citizens is achieved, the security and safety of public institutions also, and to rerun the economic cycle of the people, and get also all the basic needs for them secured in place," said Al-Bahra.
"The second step is how to do the transitional period between the internal situation and transitional period, then the permanent period of Syrian political change. Right now, the existing, I mean, governing system, it is temporary. It is mainly now intermediate. But then we have to pass through the transitional period, which should be according to the UN Security Council Resolution 2254, it should be about 18 months," Al-Bahra continued.
Al-Bahra stressed the need for substantial assistance from the neighboring countries, noting that years of war has displaced millions and destroyed infrastructure in Syria.
"As you know, Syria for almost 14 years has been in a war condition. [There has been] a lot of destruction, 65 percent of infrastructure was destroyed. We have more than 10 million internally displaced people and refugees. So, we need a lot of help, especially from neighboring countries, because as a neighbor it's easier to move goods, provide technical assistance and so on," said Al-Bahra.
Regarding Syria's reconstruction, Al-Bahra said that the most crucial mission at the moment is to ensure the start of the transitional period, with an aim of achieving a new constitution and free elections.
"As Syrian citizens, everyone has his own role and his own duty toward his country. So, our role currently and the most important mission is to make sure that the transitional period starts, and we reach safely to a new constitution and free election to enable the Syrian people to make their own free decision and pick their own leaders and decide the future of the country," said Al-Bahra.
Syrian opposition leader outlines transition plan
