21-year old Wu Wen-chia has been ranked the number one table tennis player in Taiwan for the past six years. This year he advanced from 42nd to 34th in the world rankings and some give him a chance of eventually breaking into the top ten. Here he is in his own words:

Defeating Chiang Chia-liang from the mainland was probably the most satisfying moment this far in my career. Chiang Chia-liang is ranked number one in the world, and every table tennis player hopes to play him some day. Some even dream of beating him. This year at the U.S. Open I finally had the chance to stand across the table from him. Before the match I looked at several tapes and felt our styles were about the same, and that I had a shot at beating him.

When the match began, I was really nervous and lost the first six points. My coach was stamping his feet on the sidelines, and I was so tense my palms were sweating. I kept telling myself: take it easy. Just keep close and things will be okay. Everytime I slammed I would yell "Kill!" and then slam again. This is one of my tactics. It gives me confidence and puts pressure on the opponent. Things then settled down. Beating him came on the last two points. If Chiang hadn't been so nervous and netted the last ball, I couldn't have won.

Defeating a good opponent makes me very happy. I jumped in the air and ran over and hugged my coach like an old friend I hadn't seen in years. Our eyes were red. Then I had a thought. I should give my coach's wife, who cooked for me and washed my clothes, a phone call. Can you believe it? That's the first thing that popped into my head after beating Chiang Chia-liang.

The first time I played table tennis was in fourth grade. It was one afternoon after our monthly test, and the teacher wanted about four or five of us students to stay and hit balls off the wall with wooden paddles. I hit the ball over 500 times without letting it hit the ground. Actually this was pretty good, but neither the teacher nor I thought much of it at the time.

In the fifth grade I went to the Taipei Tournament. I had never seen so many people playing table tennis, and felt both curious and surprised. At night in the hotel I cried to myself in the blanket. Now that I think back, it wasn't losing that frightened me, it was all those people. I was a complete hick.

After entering Tainan Junior High School, I was on the table tennis team. In the second year, I met Huang Hui-chueh, who was in the Tainan Table Tennis Camp. And because of him, I came to know the camp's director, Lin Chung-hsiung, the coach who helped me the most. He taught me how to act around people as well as how to play table tennis. When I entered the camp, I really wasn't much good. He had more influence on me than even my own father. While playing, he wouldn't yell but just say things like, "You didn't pivot well," and "You hit it too hard," just to keep me on my toes. After I finished, he would write a list of my problems and quietly drop it on my desk. I would wake up the next day, see this list, and be ready to make a new start.

I get up each morning at five and go to the track for a run. Sometimes I jog beside the athletic park. Then I warm up with a player from the camp, working on my footwork and fundamentals and stopping only when my coach tells me to. In the afternoon there is free practice, and I play against people with different styles. I set a goal for myself of how many games I want to win. If I don't meet that goal, then I'll practice at night. We often play at night. There's nothing worse than being asked out for dinner. Eating throws off your game immediately.

Though I like to play a fast game, in the past my feet couldn't catch up. My coach told me to watch other players and that's when I found out I was a flatfoot. After that I made sure I moved twice as much as my opponent and started to jump rope, work out on the punching bag and lift weights, to make me quicker and more agile. At home I would watch tapes of players with good footwork. Later all of this paid off.

Being the champion puts you on a pedestal, and everyone wants to knock you off. Sometimes I fear losing, but when I get nervous, I just look at my coach or yell "Kill!" or "Go!" and then I settle down.

When I lose, I usually sit by myself in the lounge. My coach says this is when I'm at my calmest and some people think I'm sad because I've lost, but actually I'm just thinking about the match and how to win the next time.

(Mark Halperin)

[Picture Caption]

As a youth, Wu Wen-chia used to play on this beach, but now it is the scene of serious workouts.

Wu Wen-chia was ecstatic after defeating number-one ranked Chiang Chia-lian.

Coach Lin Chung-hsiung with his prize pupil.

The picture of intense concentration, Wu Wen-chia displays the form thatwon him the title "The Little King".

Wu Wen-chia was ecstatic after defeating number-one ranked Chiang Chia-lian.

Coach Lin Chung-hsiung with his prize pupil.

The picture of intense concentration, Wu Wen-chia displays the form that　won him the title "The Little King".