Houston's budding paddlers inspired by China's stars

"I feel like table tennis brings me a lot of unpredictable things. I think people underestimate this sport," she said, revealing that her dream is to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Vicktor Sabonj, a teacher at a Houston high school, trains about a dozen students at the club in his spare time.

He moved from Serbia to the United States in the 1990s and considers table tennis "by far the most special sport". "You can continuously improve your skill level from being a little kid until you are a hundred years old," he said.

"If you look at our club here, it feels like you are in the middle of the United Nations. We have people from all over the world, from China, Vietnam, India, Pakistan, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.

"Honestly, we are a united nation and table tennis is the perfect glue for everybody. Table tennis is the best way to unite people in the world, I would say."

Ones to watch at worlds

Men's singles: China's world No 1 Fan Zhendong headlines a star-studded men's singles draw at the worlds in Houston. Fan is joined by compatriots Lin Gaoyuan, seeded fifth, Liang Jingkun, seeded sixth, and Wang Chuqin in the top half of the draw.

Japanese teenage sensation Tomokazu Harimoto, rising Chinese Taipei star Lin Yun-ju, 2019 runnerup Mattias Falck of Sweden and German veteran Timo Boll occupy the opposite half of the draw.

Women's singles: China's world No 1 Chen Meng, fourth seed Wang Manyu and their teammate Chen Xingtong are in the top half of the draw. China's world No 2 Sun Yingsha joins another compatriot Wang Yidi and world No 3 Mima Ito of Japan in the opposite half.

Xinhua