Cheng I-ching

Taiwanese table tennis player who competed internationally and represented Chinese Taipei in various international competitions including World Championships.

Cheng I-ching competes for a table tennis program that most of the sport's fans barely register exists as distinct from China's, given how completely the Chinese system dominates global rankings and medal counts -- yet she's reached World Championship and Asian Games podiums repeatedly, a genuine achievement for a player from Taiwan's comparatively tiny development pipeline. Her doubles results, including a 2018 World Championship silver, came against opposition drawn heavily from exactly the program she doesn't have access to train within, making medal-round wins over Chinese pairings a different kind of achievement than the same result would represent for a player from within that system. Cheng's continued competitiveness into the Tokyo Olympics cycle, reaching the round of 16 in singles, reflects a career built on consistently punching above what Taiwan's relative resources in the sport would predict -- a small program producing a player who regularly troubles the sport's dominant nation on the biggest stages available.

Right-handed attacking player

Represented Taiwan in various international table tennis competitions

• World Table Tennis Championships Women's Doubles Silver Medal 2018
• World Table Tennis Championships Mixed Doubles Bronze Medal 2018
• World Table Tennis Championships Women's Doubles Bronze Medal 2022
• Asian Games Women's Team Gold Medal 2018
• Asian Games Women's Singles Bronze Medal 2018
• Asian Games Women's Doubles Silver Medal 2018
• Asian Championships Women's Doubles Gold Medal 2019
• Asian Championships Mixed Doubles Gold Medal 2019
• ITTF World Tour Grand Finals Women's Doubles Gold Medal 2018
• ITTF Women's World Cup Bronze Medal 2018
• Olympic Games Women's Singles Round of 16 2020 Tokyo
• WTT Contender Women's Singles titles (multiple)
• Asian Championships Women's Team Gold Medal 2019