At just 13 years old, Canadian table tennis player Daniel Liang is already gaining valuable international experience and working toward his dream of becoming a professional athlete. Inspired by some of the sport’s top players, including Japan’s Sora Matsushima and Sweden’s Truls Möregårdh, Liang is focused on improving his skills and competing at a higher level.

Learning From the Best

Liang has worked hard to develop his technique and become a more complete player. Some of the most important aspects of his growth include staying close to the table, moving forward during his swings, bending his body, and tightening his core during rallies.

He has also improved his forehand, particularly when serving and attacking, playing forehand shots in rallies, and pivoting. Inspired by Matsushima, Liang has found the aggressive “bullet backhand” especially useful during rallies.

A Memorable International Victory

One of the biggest highlights of Liang’s career so far was winning the Youth Under-13 Boys’ Singles title at WTT Contender Asuncion II. It was his first championship title in the category, making the victory a particularly meaningful milestone in his development.

Competing internationally has also introduced him to different playing conditions and styles. Liang found that the humid conditions in South America made looping the ball more difficult than it was at home in Canada.

He has also noticed distinctive techniques among players from countries such as Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, including lobbing, changing the timing of their shots, chop-blocking, and chopping. Learning to adapt to these styles is an important part of his development as an international competitor.

Looking Toward the Professional Stage

Liang’s ambitions extend beyond youth competitions. He hopes to become a professional table tennis player and understands that reaching that level will require even harder training and continued improvement.

If his performances continue to progress, he hopes to have the opportunity to train in European countries, where he could gain further experience and challenge himself against different opponents.

At 13, Liang has already achieved an important milestone with his international championship victory. With a strong desire to improve, inspiration from elite players, and a clear professional goal, he is working to turn his ambitions into reality.

For Liang, every tournament and training session is another opportunity to develop his game and take the next step in his table tennis journey.