In a sentence

He was both a ruler of the table and the man who wrote table tennis into the history of world diplomacy.

Playing style

  • Two-winged fast attack, with lightning transitions between the backhand block and the forehand smash
  • Low centre of gravity and lively footwork, able to press opponents continuously up close
  • Early contact point, using speed to lock opponents deep

Career and key moments

In 1961, 1963 and 1965 he won men’s singles at three straight World Championships, nicknamed “Little Tiger” for his ferocity on court. At the 1971 Nagoya World Championships he struck up a conversation with American player Glenn Cowan on the team bus and they exchanged gifts — a small gesture later called the beginning of “ping-pong diplomacy”, the little ball that moved the globe. He later served as director of the National Sports Commission.

What he left the game

He proved that an athlete’s influence can reach beyond the arena. For those working in the sport today, it is a reminder that its value was never only in the score.

In a sentence: The table is small, but it connects to a much bigger world.