EgypteyestoptabletennisslotwiththehelpofChinesementorByGeLijun
Egyptwillalsobecomebeapowerintabletennisifwecancultivateskilledplayerswhentheyareyoung.
ZhangChaoling,Egypt'schieftabletenniscoach
Withthe2016OlympicGameskickingoffinRiodeJaneiroinAugust,manyathletesandtheircoachesareallinatwitterbutnotZhangChaoling.ThechiefcoachofEgypt’snationaltabletennisteamremainsunflappable,partlyduetothefactthatfourofhisplayershavealreadyqualifiedforRio,thankstotheiroutstandingperformanceattheAll-AfricaGames,themulti-sporteventheldeveryfouryearsandregardedasAfrica’spre-qualifierfortheOlympics.
Lastyear,atthe11thAll-AfricaGamesinBrazzaville,theEgyptianwomen’sdoublesteamfoughtbacktobeatNigeriaandclinchthechampionship.
Zhang’sjoyturnedeuphoricwhenhisplayerswentonawinningspree,baggingthegoldatthemen’sandwomen’ssinglesaswell.ThewinnersautomaticallyqualifiedforRio.
“Ifeeldelightedwiththeresults,especiallythewomen’sdoublesteambaggingthechampionshipunderverydifficultconditions,”abeamingZhangsaid.“IamhopingthefourwoulddowellinRiotoo.”
AnOlympicmedalwouldbeafeatherinthecapoftheChinesecoachwhocametoEgyptnearlyadecadeago.Zhang,whoisfromXi’an,ahistoricalcityinnorthwestChina’sShaanxiProvince,wasachildprodigywhobegantoplaytabletennisattheageof7.Hewasselectedtotheprovincialteamat13,andbecamecoachoftheShaanxiprovincialteamwhenhewasjust20.
In2008,the44-year-old’stabletenniscareerbecamelacedwithadventure.HewasinvitedbyatabletennisclubinCairotocoachEgyptianplayersandacceptedtheofferwithalacritytofollowhis“ping-pongdream.”
“Tabletennisismydestiny,”Zhangsaidpassionately.
Adifferentballgame
ButwhenhearrivedinEgypt,thingswerefarfromsmooth.Thefirstmajorhurdlewasthelanguage.ZhangcouldspeakneitherEnglishnorArabicandso,couldn’texchangeawordwiththepeoplehelivedandworkedwithsincetherewasnointerpreter.
HegrittedhisteethandbegantolearnArabicbyhimself.Startingfromthesimplewordsheneededforthedailylessons-suchasracket,table,serveandsmash-hebegantopickupwordsandphrasesheheardpeoplearoundhimuse.TheotherEgyptiancoaches,playersandChineselivinginEgypt,eventhevendorsinthelocalclothingmarkets,becamehisteachers.
“IwouldwritedowneverywordIheardinmynotebookandasktheplayersinmyteamtoteachmehowtopronounceit,”thejaunty-lookingmanwithacrew-cutandinall-sportsgear,describedhisearlydaywoes.“Oneyearlater,Icouldcommunicatewiththelocalsinabasicway.”
Asaforeigncoach,Zhangmadealotofefforttogainrecognition,guidinghisplayerswithunwaveringpatience,andwatchingeverygesturetheymadeatplaylikeahawk.Thededicationboreresultsandinthecourseoftime,hedevelopedastrongrapportwithhisteams.
Soon,hehadanewhonorifictitle.TheplayersandothercoachesbegantocallhimZhangge,whichmeans“bigbrotherZhang”inChinese.Oneday,theplayersandothercoachessurprisedhimbygreetinghimwithacakealmostthesizeofatabletennisboard.Hehadforgottenitwashisbirthday!Thegesturetouchedhimsomuchthatitmadehimwanttocry.
HisabilitywassoonrecognizedbytheEgyptianTableTennisFederation(ETTF)andin2014,hebecamethechiefcoachofthenationalteam.Sincethen,hehasintroducedadvancedtechnologies,greatlyimprovingtheskillsoftheplayers.
ZhangsaidhealsogetshugesupportfromETTFPresidentAlaaMeshref,who,beingborninatabletennis-playingfamilyhimself,understandsthegameandlistenstoZhang’ssuggestions.OnZhang’sadvice,theETTFconstructedanew,well-equippedgymnasiumwheretheplayerscantrain.ZhangthinkstheEgyptianteams’currentgoodperformancewouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutthissupport.
Meshref’sdaughterDinaisaprizedstudentofZhang.SheisthecurrentEgyptianwomen’schampionwhobaggedthewomen’ssinglesgoldattheInternationalTableTennisFederationAfricanCuptourneyinKhartoum.Zhangwantshertoplayinmoreinternationaltournaments.
Ping-pongdiplomacy
ThoughEgypthasbecomeatabletennissuperpowerinAfrica,it’snotenoughforZhang.HewantsEgyptiantabletennistobeworld-class,likeChina.Inthefirsthalfofthisyear,heledhisplayerstotournamentsinSingapore,HungaryandGermanytoimprovetheirpsychologicalaswellasphysicalstamina.
AnotherwayofdoingthatisbymakinghisplayerstraintogetherwithChinesepeersinhishometowninChinaandtakepartinChinesetournaments.TheEgyptianteamhastakenpartintheChinaTableTennisClubClassALeagueSeriestournamentforthreeyearsinarownow,nettingaharvestofmedals.
Toensuremedaltalliesattournamentsaswellascultivateyoungplayers,ZhangplanstohaveEgyptianyoungsterstakepartintheNationalChildren’sTableTennisCompetitioninChina.
AccordingtoZhang,China’stabletennisworldchampionsweregroomedyoung,usuallyselectedfromchildren’scompetitions.ChineseworldchampionssuchasWangNan,ZhangYining,MaLinandWangHaoallprovetheeffectivenessofthe“catch‘emyoung”philosophy.
“Egyptwillalsobecomeapowerintabletennisifwecancultivateskilledplayerswhentheyareyoung,”hesaid.
Zhanghopesplayersfromthetwocountriescanlearnfromoneanother.“Chinaisknowntobeaworldpowerintabletennis.Egyptianplayerscanlearnalotfromus,”hetoldChinAfrica.
Lookingintothefuture
InAfrica,tabletennishasdevelopedinanunbalancedway.ExceptforEgyptandNigeria,itisrelativelyundevelopedinotherAfricancountriesduetotheirunderdevelopedeconomyandtrainingsystem.BesidesEgypt,severalAfricancountries,suchasSouthAfrica,NigeriaandTunisia,oncerecruitedcoachesfromChina.
ZhanghopestosetupaChinesetabletennisassociationinEgypttostrengthentabletennisexchangeswithChinaandpromotebilateralties.
ZhangsaysEgypthasbecomehishome.“Iwillstayhere,”hetoldChinAfrica.“IloveEgyptandthereisadeepbondbetweenmyplayersandmyself.Egyptmustbecomeoneofthestrongesttabletennisteamsintheworld.”CA