Xifeng player wins 3 gold medals at special events

Zhou Lijiang poses with other players for a group photo at the podium. [Photo/Guiyang news network]

Xifeng table tennis player Zhou Lijiang won three gold medals at the 11th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the eighth National Special Olympics, according to local news reports on Nov 8. Xifeng county is located in Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou province.

Zhou was the champion of table tennis mixed doubles finals, men's singles for groups aged 12-15, and the B group of the men's doubles above 30.

The 15-year-old Zhou was born with physical disabilities in the Hejiadong village of Xifeng county. He was encouraged to start training for sports in Guiyang back in 2016.

"Zhou was extremely introverted when he first came here. But thanks to the efforts of teachers, he is becoming more and more healthy mentally and physically," said Yun Shicang, Zhou's coach.

Zhou's strong interest in ball games drew Yun's attention, and since Zhou is physically competent at table tennis, Yun began to train him as a table tennis player.

Imperfections in his body don't reduce his passion for sports. In the two-month centralized training period just before the Olympics, Zhou spent over 10 hours training every day. He stood out among other competitors in the game mainly for his perseverance.

Zhou continues to train even after he won gold in the games.