Among the cacophony of table tennis balls, one competitor stood out like a David among the many Goliaths. This bespectacled Lilliputian's precision serves, agile returns and ferocious forehand belied that of your stereotypical 85-year-old grandmother.
Born in Beijing, China, Sufei Fu was introduced to table tennis in elementary school where she fondly recalls playing after school and into the night by candlelight. Later, when Sufei entered high school, volleyball became her athletic passion. After high school, Sufei's sporting interests waned as she pursued her college studies.
Married to an editor, this mother of four went on to become a sociology professor at Kunming Teachers College in China's Yunnan Province. Retired from teaching in 1986, Sufei remained in China with her husband until his passing five years ago. She then relocated to Seattle to live with her daughter, Jiang.
Jiang, also a seasoned table tennis player, assists her mom by retrieving errant balls. Employed as an accountant, when this loving daughter senses her mom is tired, she respectfully encourages Sufei, a soft spoken and gentle spirit, to take a break.
Jiang proudly attributes her mom's extraordinary physical and mental health to Sufei's open mindedness, humbleness, being an accomplished calligraphist and her daily practice of the martial arts known as Goose Kung Fu (Tai Chi-like meditative exercise that mimics the movements of this bird).
A year ago Jiang reintroduced Sufei to the sport of her mom's youth when the two began playing ping-pong at the new International District Community Center (IDCC). Here resides the park department's Taj Mahal of Table Tennis facilities, and Sufei and Jiang joined other men and women in this popular international sport. The skill level at the IDCC runs the gamut as area residents take advantage of the six, high-quality tables spatially situated in a room ideally suited for table tennis.
For the past four months I too have been attending this veritable ping-pong oasis where fair play takes precedence over winning. The regular participants at the IDCC graciously welcome new people and freely provide pointers to the less proficient players. Furthermore, the center staff recognizes Sufei's special status with a lone chair placed adjacent to the entryway so the IDCC's resident ping-pong matriarch can keep watch over her surrogate brood. Not only is everyone agreeable to this arrangement, the center coordinator who mandated this exception to the "no chair" rule, happens to be an imposing martial arts instructor who steadfastly would have it no other way.
Table tennis, an Olympic sport that originated in England in the late 1800s was first referred to as "whiff-whaff" and "flim-flam" because of the sound the hollow and seamless celluloid ball creates when paddled. In 1901, an English manufacturer copyrighted the game as ping-pong, which was subsequently sold to Parker Brothers. In the 1920s, ping-pong was revived as table tennis in Europe as well as throughout China, Korea and Japan via the influence of the British Empire. Interestingly, the 1971 United States table tennis team became the first group of Americans allowed into China since the communist conquest in 1949.
Table tennis, a low cost indoor activity, utilizes all the major muscle groups in a series of continuous movements that provide a good aerobic exercise. This no frills sport that requires adept hand eye coordination appeals both to the competitive player and "rec room hack" alike.
As we get older, often the activities of our youth are replaced by sophisticated, expensive and cumbersome recreation outlets such as golfing, skiing, boating and rock climbing. In contrast, our publicly financed community centers offer common activities such as volleyball, badminton, basketball and ping-pong that are conveniently located, comparably inexpensive, and require minimal equipment.
Coming full circle, Sufei is the embodiment of the Nike "just do it" slogan, she has returned to her youthful passion while serving as a testament to the meaningfulness of play.
Central Area writer Joe Kadushin may be reached through the postal and e-mail addresses listed below.[[In-content Ad]]
