Bouncing around the globe to Ping-Pong pinnacle

The next year, Shortz, chairman of the World Puzzle Federation (WPF), was in Beijing for the World Sudoku Championship. Seeking out table tennis clubs to add to his ever-growing list, Shortz found an ideal local host in Kai, who was more than willing to show his new friend his country's ping-pong prowess.

The two bonded, and Shortz asked Zhang whether he would like to play in the States.

"The same question was raised while I was in the US half a year before, at that time my answer was a definite 'no'," said Zhang. "However, things changed."

"Within those six months, competitions were held within our team to select the best for short-term training with the Chinese National Table Tennis Team. Twice I missed the opportunity," he said. "So I said to myself: 'You are not going there.' ...The disillusionment was crushing."

There were other concerns. Having adhered to a strict full-day training schedule, Zhang lagged far behind academically as compared with his fellow youngsters in China. If that were to continue, he might end up as a coach with his team, a coach with little quality education and therefore little liberty to take in his life. "I was too young to be set in track," he said.

By the end of 2012, Zhang had moved to the US. He enrolled at Pleasantville High School the next spring. Shortz, in the meantime, had cleared out his third-floor attic for Zhang, with whom he acted as both a guardian and student.

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