Chongqing - Eleven athletes from Chongqing are competing in para table tennis, para badminton, para archery, and boccia at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games in Japan. Among them, 17-year-old table tennis player Huang Zhirui advanced to the women's singles class 3 semifinals on Oct. 19 after defeating a Thai opponent 3-1.
The fifth Asian Para Games opened in Nagoya, Japan, on Oct. 18 and will run through Oct. 24, bringing together athletes from 45 countries and regions to compete across 18 sports. China has sent 312 athletes to compete in 335 events across 17 sports. This is the largest number of Chinese athletes ever to take part in an Asian Para Games held outside China.
The Chinese delegation enters the stadium during the opening ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Japan, on Oct. 18, 2026. (Photo: Jia Haocheng from Xinhua)
Three athletes from Chongqing have previously won Paralympic gold medals. Liao Keli won table tennis gold at both the Tokyo and Paris Paralympics, while Yan Zhiqiang and Xiao Zuxian won gold in boccia and badminton singles, respectively, at the Paris Games. Wu Xingcheng, Yang Fan, Huang Zhirui, Yun Duo, Luo Guanzhong and Dong Lin are competing at the Asian Para Games for the first time. At 17, Huang is the youngest athlete on China's team.
Huang first took up table tennis as part of her rehabilitation and physical exercise, but what began as a way to stay active eventually led her into competitive sport.
She began training with Yu Tao, her longtime coach, at age eight. Over nearly a decade, she worked on her technique and gained competition experience, eventually progressing from the Chongqing team to China's national team.
Yu said Huang had always shown patience and focus during training. Even when she had to repeat the same movement many times, she would take a short break when tired and then continue practicing.
"There's a quiet determination about her. Once she sets her mind on something, she doesn't give up," Yu said.
Huang Zhirui, a 17-year-old para table tennis player from Chongqing, practices her paddle technique. (Photo: Cai Yang from Xinhua)
Huang won three gold medals in para table tennis at China's 2025 National Games for Persons with Disabilities. She was later selected to represent China at the Asian Para Games, where she competed in women's singles and doubles in para table tennis.
Huang said she felt a little nervous about competing at the Asian Para Games for the first time, but wanted to focus on performing as she did in training.
"I just want to stay calm and play the way I do in training," she said.
Huang is scheduled to play her singles semifinal on Oct. 20. After the Asian Para Games, she plans to travel to Pattaya, Thailand, for the ITTF World Para Table Tennis Championships in November.