Did you know that a simple game of ping-pong once helped two big countries become friends? 🏓 On Sunday, athletes from China and the United States met in Los Angeles to celebrate 53 years of “Ping-Pong Diplomacy”!
So, what’s “Ping-Pong Diplomacy”? Let’s find out!
Back in 1971, during a ping-pong tournament in Japan, an American player named Glenn Cowan missed his team bus. A Chinese player, Zhuang Zedong, kindly invited him to ride on the Chinese team’s bus. That friendly gesture led to the American team being invited to visit China! This was a big deal because it helped the two countries start talking to each other again after many years.
Fast forward to today, famous Chinese ping-pong champions Ma Long and Liu Shiwen played fun matches with Connie and Dell Sweeris, who were part of that historic 1971 U.S. team. They also played with some young American players from the current USA team.
Ma Long shared that he could feel how much they loved table tennis and that the friendship has always been there. Liu Shiwen felt like she went back in time and said playing together showed how the spirit of the sport lives on.
Isn’t it amazing how a game can bring people together? Maybe next time you pick up a ping-pong paddle, you’ll be part of a story that connects people around the world too! 🌍🏓
Reference(s):
53rd anniversary of "Ping-Pong Diplomacy" celebrated in Los Angeles
cgtn.com
