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Article: Ping-Pong? That's So Old China.
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- August 14, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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On Wednesday, relegated to a half-empty gymnasium at Beijing
University, a sport that once thrilled a nation seemed like a relic.
Far from the iconic Bird's Nest and the incandescent Swimming
Cube, a steady clocklike rhythm -- tick, tock, tick, tock --
filled the air as players swatted tiny balls back and forth. There
were no space-age swimsuits, no towering NBA players, no state-of-
the-art fireworks displays. Instead, there was only the first day of
the table tennis competition, and it felt almost retro.
"Ping-pong is a game for kids," declared Sun Yu, 12, who
nevertheless came to watch the competition with his grandmother and
a classmate. "I've played it since I was 5, but now I've ...