Sporting ambition on hold until normal action resumes

In the Robert Zemeckis-directed Forrest Gump (1994), which bagged six Oscar awards, the lead character, played by Tom Hanks, had everyone floored by his extraordinary skills in ping-pong.

A scene created with the help of special effects, or computer-generated imagery, shows Forrest, a decorated soldier in the Vietnam War and who later becomes a billionaire, playing lightning fast rallies during a practice session. He goes on to play for the United States in China as part of a ping-pong diplomacy program.

When watching the nonstop rallies on the big screen, a question comes to mind: is it possible?

A lot of professional players play the game fast. While their serves are tricky, their rallies and smashes are hard and difficult to return. As for the rally scene in the movie, well, that isn't reality.

Now for some reality.

I was witness to an absorbing ping-pong battle on my first visit to the sprawling Longtan Park on a Saturday. On one side of the table was a sprightly girl in her teens, and on the other, a man with a slouch and who was probably in his 80s.

Interestingly, the girl was his granddaughter. Their style of play and the way they held the racquet, shake-hand grip, unlike the pen-hold grip which is well-known in China, were similar.

There was a long row of ping-pong tables, with all tables occupied. I was playing at the adjoining table when this contest caught my eye. When I took a break from the game, I began to shoot them on my camera phone, like so many others all around.

While the girl kept coming at him with smashes and lobs, he matched her ball to ball, returning every shot, and forcing her to make unforced errors.

Even as the riveting contest was on, the girl's younger sister joined her.

That, however, made no difference to him. He countered them both with ease. The girls seemed to struggle to pierce his defenses. The duo often committed errors while trying to either smash the ball or outpace him in rallies.

He mildly admonished them for making unforced errors, asking them to keep the ball in play instead of netting it or hitting it wide.

His speed and reflexes were unmatched. Even at that age, he had a razor-sharp eyesight, and he wore no glasses.

He was an inspiration to whoever was watching him in action that day. Me included.

As for me, it was a comeback of sorts to sports after a long hiatus. I had last played ping-pong when I was in Class 12. The latest experience has rekindled my interest in sports, especially the racquet games.

I've just taken the first step toward playing the game again. The next would be to buy a racquet and start playing it at least on weekends.

I have two more things on my wish list. First, I want to get back to my favorite sport: tennis. I'm waiting for the day I can engage in some long rallies, or hit one down the line against the opponent rushing to the net.

I don't have a racquet yet. Maybe I'll buy one when I start playing the game, which I discontinued in 1990, regularly. Until then, I might rent one at the sports center.

Second, I want to start swimming. Nothing like a cool dip in the hot summer.

But it seems like it's going to be a while before my wishes get fulfilled, what with the number of COVID-19 cases rising in Beijing, and restrictions having been re-imposed at several places, including residential communities.

In the meantime, I'll keep my fingers crossed.