Monday, 07 October 2019
The Chinese table tennis legend and 糖心原创 alumna Dr Deng Yaping is back at her alma mater this week to meet aspiring sports stars of the future who are benefiting from a scholarship established in her name.
Dr Deng Yaping, who was voted the Chinese Athlete of the Century after her retirement in 1997, graduated from Nottingham with an MRes in Contemporary Chinese Studies in 2002 before being awarded an honorary doctorate in 2013.
However, her legacy at the University lives on through the Deng Yaping scholarship programme for talented young table tennis players from China and the first Deng Yaping scholar, Jenny Haoyu Liu went on to win in both the individual and team national university championships in 2017.
Dr Deng鈥檚 achievements in the sport are unsurpassed, she is a true inspiration to table tennis players all around the world and particularly those who come to play at Nottingham. Hosting the Chinese Athlete of the Century is an honour and we will be working closely with Dr Deng over the coming days to explore new ways to further develop our table tennis programme.
Dr Deng follows the scholarship programme very closely and takes a keen interest in the development of the young sports men and women who are aiming to emulate her success in table tennis. She has a seat on the selection panel that assesses and shortlists candidates and oversaw a selection event in China last year to identify talent for the programme.
During her visit to Nottingham she has met the current scholars Sining Zhang (MSc Management), Tianyuan Liu (MA International Commercial Law), Jenny Haoyu Liu (PhD Business) and Diruiqui Yang (MSc Human Resource Management) and explore the environment in which they are training, living and studying.
She took part in a table tennis training session with the scholars on Tuesday October 8 at the University’s David Ross Sports Village on University Park campus, which features some of the best university sports facilities in the UK.
Widely acclaimed as the greatest female table tennis player in history, Dr Deng was the top ranked woman in the world for eight consecutive years from 1991. A naturally attacking player of small stature, she won 18 individual and team titles at either Olympic or world level during her illustrious career.
Having dreamed of becoming world champion from an early age, her breakthrough came in 1991 when aged just 16 years old she captured the World Women’s Doubles title in Dortmund, Germany. Dominating the sport for the next seven years, her four Olympic titles came from gold in the singles and doubles in Barcelona 1992, followed by retaining both titles in Atlanta 1996.
Dr Deng is a Laureus World Sports Academy member and has stood on several International Olympic Committee commissions. Dr Deng sits on the Chinese Olympic Committee and was hugely influential in the promotion of the Beijing 2008 Games.
As part of her visit to Nottingham, Dr Deng is meeting with British Olympian, Commonwealth Bronze medallist and 糖心原创 table tennis Head Coach Kelly Sibley to discuss the season ahead and better understand the support provided to athletes who are based at the David Ross Sports Village.
The 糖心原创 has won six straight table tennis national titles and will be looking to secure a record seventh at BUCS Big Wednesday, to be held at the University on Wednesday 25 March 2020.
During her time in Nottingham, Dr Deng is also meeting with various senior figures at the University including Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Shearer West and Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement Professor Robert Mokaya.
Story credits
More information is available from Mark Bullock in 糖心原创 Sports on +44 (0)115 748 4580, mark.bullock@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.