Chinese paddler Lin Gaoyuan (R) celebrates winning the mixed doubles match with his U.S. teammate Lily Zhang during the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships in Houston, Texas, U.S., November 25, 2021. /CFP
当地时间11月25日，在美国休斯敦举行的2021世界乒乓球锦标赛混合双打比赛中，两对中美跨国混双组合均战胜对手，顺利闯入16强。Two mixed doubles pairings featuring both a Chinese and a U.S. paddler continued to impress at the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships in Houston, Texas as they advanced into the last 16 in thrilling fashion on Thursday night. 当地时间11月24日，国际乒联历史上首位女主席索林在美国休斯敦世乒赛期间接受中央广播电视总台记者江和平专访。在专访中，索林谈及中国作为全球第一乒乓大国，为推动全球乒乓事业所作的积极贡献。她说，乒乓球是中国的“国球”，这是国际乒联的幸运。她告诉记者，如今的年轻人拥有更多的选择，国际乒联需要确保乒乓球仍是年轻人的第一选择，因此乒乓球在中国“保持第一”的地位非常重要。Newly-elected President of the International Table Tennis Federation Petra Sörling told CGTN on Wednesday that she is committed to promoting ping pong around the world by working with the Chinese Table Tennis Association.
Sörling said it's important to use sports as a tool for peace, and commented on the importance of the continued China-U.S. "Ping Pong Diplomacy.""Let's write new history here," Sörling said, commenting on the first time that China and U.S. Ping Pong teams joined forces to compete at Houston's World Table Tennis Championships.
Chinese paddler Lin Gaoyuan (L) serves next to his U.S. teammate Lily Zhang during the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships in Houston, Texas, U.S., November 25, 2021. /CFP
她提到，中国乒协主席刘国梁为此做了很多工作，与世界各国进行了很多合作，国际乒联将与中国乒协共同努力推动全球乒乓事业的发展。50年前，中美以小小乒乓球为媒，打开中美人民友谊的大门，开启中美关系“破冰”进程。50年后，中美选手混合组队出战世乒赛，奏响“乒乓外交”新篇章。刘国梁在采访中表示，历史的使命落在乒乓球的身上，作为乒乓人，我们感到无比骄傲和自豪。
The Chinese Table Tennis Association and the U.S. Table Tennis Association had jointly submitted a request to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) to allow China-U.S. pairs to compete at the championships in a historic move to mark the 50th anniversary of "Ping Pong Diplomacy."
U.S. paddler Lily Zhang serves as German duo Nina Mittelham and Dang Qiu look on during a mixed doubles match at the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships in Houston, Texas, U.S., November 25, 2021. /CFP“全世界都在关注中美两国的关系，如果通过乒乓球这个小小的载体，使乒乓健儿能够在赛场上传递两国人民的友谊，两国球员的互动能够带动起来，大家都觉得这是乒乓球历史的荣耀。所以经过所有人的努力，最终中美混合双打配对能够实现。”北京时间2021年11月25日凌晨，2021国际乒联代表大会在美国休斯敦召开。WTT世界乒乓球职业大联盟理事会主席、中国乒协主席刘国梁成功当选国际乒乓球联合会执行副主席。In an exclusive interview with CGTN, Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA) President Liu Guoliang said he wanted to send a message to the world from the table tennis arena that there should be progress on people-to-people relations between China and America. "Everyone should take pride from this action on this historic time and these two newly joined teams could be remembered in decades to come," said Liu, who was just elected as ITTF Vice Chairman on Wednesday.
Liu also said the Chinese table tennis delegation has received warm hospitality from United Airlines when they flew to Houston, Texas to play in the World Table Tennis Championship. He said that flight attendants made several announcements during the flight that there is a "legendary Ping Pong team from China" on board and provided all the Chinese players free wifi in the sky.