20 | Tuesday, July 27, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY SPORTS OLYMPICS Liu Jia (left), who learned her table tennis skills as a child in Beijing, is representing Austria at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, while Nanjing native Qi Xuefei is playing for France in the badminton competition. AFP / REUTERS Overseas aces making their mark Chinese-born talents helping their adopted home countries raise their game at Tokyo Olympic Games By SUN XIAOCHEN matchup from the Chinese National If I’d stayed in China, I approaches her 60s. pic badminton and diving events.
[email protected] Games, with players from both sides “I can’t really stop as they (the Five of Australia’s 472-athlete del- able to speak Mandarin. might probably never Luxembourg table tennis federa- egation were born in China before Born in China but competing Two women’s singles matches on have the chance to compete tion) came back again and again moving Down Under to seek bright- under a different flag, a group of Tuesday will also feature two Chi- asking me to play,” said Ni after los- er career opportunities. emigrants has navigated through nese stars, top-ranked Chen Meng at the Olympics because ing 3-4 to teenager Shin. Among them, the diving combo of athletic and cultural challenges to and third-ranked Sun Yingsha, there are way too many “I feel responsible for Luxem- Esther Qin and Li Shixin have realize their Olympic dreams. squaring off against two foreign bourg as a daughter-in-law of this emerged as serious contenders in In the era of globalization, the opponents with Chinese connec- talents in the sport in China.” country,” added Ni, who married her their respective events.