A Table Tennis Player

 
 
 

Vocabulary

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

And finally tonight, ever since table tennis became an Olympic sport at the Seoul Games in 1988, the US has never brought home a medal for it.

But that could all change in Rio, thanks to a teenager who’s already got a major claim to fame on Team USA.

At just sixteen, Kanak Jha is the youngest American athlete to qualify for the Rio Olympics.

I don’t think it matters how old the person is because in the end, you just want to win.”

He’s the son of immigrants and like so many tales in Silicon Valley, Kanak got started in his family’s garage at just five years old, playing with his mother Karuna Jane.

Karuna Jain: “I started playing with him because he was too young below the table and nobody wanted to play with him.”

His older sister Prachi humored him. And eventually Kanuk started to win.

Kanak Jha: “We’re pretty competitive for a long time we wanted to beat each other.”

Soon the kid wonder was filling drawers and shelves with medals and trophies. In some ways Kanak is a typical American teenager who likes playing video games in his spare time.

But he doesn’t have much of it: Kanak takes his high school courses online, so he can practice up to six hours a day, working on his explicit footwork and strategic spin.

Journalist: “Are you giving your best here? AHH!”

Coach Massimo Costantini says Kanak has everything.

Massimo Costantini, Table Tennis Coach: “He has a skills in hands, great determination. So when you put everything together, it becomes a big target.”

Kanak’s childhood idol Tim Wang has taken notice. And now their Olympic team mates.

Tim Wang, Table Tennis Player: “He’s kind of like a dog that bites onto your leg and just how hard you shake him off.”

For Kanak success means balancing physical strength and staying cool under pressure.

Journalist: “Anything you do right before you go out for a match?”

Kanak Jha, Table Tennis Player: “I wouldn’t say I’m super superstitious; but I do say some stuff to myself just they’re gonna calm me down and it’s like a mantra kinda.”
Journalist: “Wanna share it with us?”
Kanak Jha: Table Tennis Player: “No sorry it’s a secret.”

A secret that he hopes will take him straight to the top.

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Questions

Table Tennis, Ping Pong. Table tennis has been an Olympic sport since 1896. True or false?

Badminton. Has the United States dominated the sport of table tennis?

Tennis. Kanak Jha’s great-great grandparents came from England. Is this right or wrong?

Basketball. Did Kanak begin playing ping pong with his friends at a recreation center or youth center?

Football, Soccer. Has Kanak won many table tennis tournaments?

Cricket, Baseball. He attends school and also plays basketball, baseball and soccer. Is this right or wrong?

Gymnastics. Does Kanak practice table tennis three days a week, for one hour per day? How often does he practice?

Ice Hockey. Only his friends and family know him. Is this correct or incorrect?

Diving. What are some of Kanak’s traits and characteristics that makes him a champion? Why is he a champion table tennis player?
 
 
 
Rowing, Paddling. My friends and I play table tennis. Yes or no? If yes, where do you play table tennis?

Track and Field. Is ping pong very popular in your city, region and country?

Swimming. Are there many table tennis matches, competitions, tournaments and championships? Among your friends or classmates, who is the best ping pong player?

Fencing. Table tennis is good for people: children, teens, young, middle-aged and old people. What do you think?

Kayaking, Canoeing. What will happen in the future?

Pentathlon, Decathlon. What should people, schools and communities do?