Bouncing around the globe to Ping-Pong pinnacle
At the 35th World Table Tennis Championships held in 1979 in Pyongyang, the Chinese men's team was stunned by its Hungarian counterparts.
Hungary's top star Tibor Kampar played a heavy topspin with both forehand and backhand while staying close to the table, something the Chinese were utterly unprepared for.
Back home, the fiasco was met with huge disappointment mixed with anger. The Chinese team, faced with unprecedented pressure, vowed to retake the Swaythling Cup at biennial event two years later.
The decision was made for some players to "mimic" the powerful opponents and be training partners for their fellow teammates, preparing them for future encounters. Cheng was chosen to be Kampar.
"For the next two years, I tried to unlearn myself on some of my personal techniques while acquiring those signatory of Kampar. I practiced and practiced until those moves became instinct."
The sacrifice had its payoff when the Chinese swept the 36th World Table Tennis Championship in 1981, taking home all gold medals the event had to offer.
