Fast-paced action at Canadian table tennis championships

Young athletes share their calculation of speed, spin and placement at junior nationals

Zaeen Arif, from left, and Daniel Zhao are two of the five P.E.I. athletes that participated in Sunday’s action in the Canadian junior table tennis championships at Credit Union Place in Summerside. - Desiree Anstey

SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — Clip-clop echoes from lightweight balls smashed across tables were the only sounds in Credit Union Place’s Eastlink Arena on Sunday afternoon.

More than 100 young athletes showed off their quick reflexes, alertness and absolute concentration in the Canadian junior table tennis championships that took place from Thursday to Sunday in Summerside. Daniel Zhao was one of the five P.E.I. athletes participating in the fast-paced sport.
“It takes a lot of skill to play at this level. You need a good strategy to always be one step ahead of your opponent. When I’m playing I leave everything out of my head and just focus on the table tennis ball,” said the Clyde River resident.

Fiona Nie, from the left wearing blue, David Xu, and their opponents Terence Yeung and Joyce Xu smash the ball across the table.

Table tennis balls soared through the air at more than 90-kilometres-per-hour while players exchanged shots and looked for cracks in the other’s defence.
“Track and field helps me with endurance to keep up with these four-day tournaments, and otherwise the little things come down to constant practice,” added the 13-year-old Zhao, who acknowledged he started table tennis when he was six.
Team P.E.I. coach Dr. Najam Chishti said the host city has been helpful and cooperative.
“The City of Summerside will be getting three (table tennis) tables as a result, each cost over $1,800. The tables will be donated to local youth clubs and one will be kept at the CUP to promote the sport. Ryan Steele (sports tourism manager for the City of Summerside) has been very helpful,” Chishti said.

Intensive training
Many of the athletes in the tournament travel to China for intensive training, said Zhao.
“In China, table tennis is a national sport and it’s considered one of the best, so a lot of the players you see here travel there and train extensively for six hours a day. I’m going this year for 40 days of intense training. Plus, I have family that live near Beijing,” said Zhao.
Zaeen Arif, aged 13, from Charlottetown, said he watches YouTube videos to gain insights on techniques.
“While you meet a lot of people here from across Canada, the environment is very competitive, so you have to be training up to this event and working on honing your skills,” he said.
Zhao acknowledged that for a small city, and even province, it’s a big deal to host such a high-calibre event.
“I think it’s great that the nationals are being hosted in Summerside. It’s actually very cool when you think about the size of this city and the province,” he concluded with a grin.