Cheers and laughter filled the recreation hall of a cultural center in Las Vegas, Nevada, as Chinese and US table tennis athletes joined local enthusiasts in friendly matches on Sunday, marking the 54th anniversary of "ping-pong diplomacy".

It was a day of heartfelt exchanges, organized by the Chinese Table Tennis Association and USA Table Tennis, and supported by the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco and the Nevada US China Cultural Association. The event aimed to celebrate those iconic moments in 1971 — the first steps toward thawing relations between the two countries.

"Fifty-four years ago, a chance encounter between Chinese and American table tennis players sparked a turning point in history," Chinese Consul General in San Francisco Zhang Jianmin told the gathering.

"A small ball moved the giant globe. It brought an end to years of estrangement between our two countries and opened the door for normalizing relations. The moment made a real difference, not just for China and the United States, but for world peace," he said.

Zhang, himself a table tennis enthusiast, participated in the matches and shared memories from a recent visit to Portland, Oregon where he met Judy Hoarfrost, the youngest US team member from the 1971 ping-pong diplomacy tour.

"She shared with me many memorable stories. When I asked her what people today ought to learn from ping-pong diplomacy, she said it was cooperation. When our two countries work together, we can make greater achievement. I couldn't agree more," Zhang said.

The Las Vegas event combined friendly matches with cultural presentations. A video replayed historic moments from ping-pong diplomacy, while a photo exhibition highlighted the legacy. Youth performers added to the atmosphere with traditional Chinese music.

Wang Liqin, president of Chinese Table Tennis Association, and two-time Olympic gold medalist, three-time World Championships singles winner, encouraged young players to embrace both sport and friendship.

"Though China and the United States have different cultures, our love for sports is universal, and our yearning for friendship is shared," he said. "We sincerely invite young friends from the United States to visit China for exchanges, to spar with Chinese players and to strengthen our bonds of friendship."

Wang noted that the association is committed to expanding cooperation with the US table tennis community through competitions, youth training programs and other exchanges.

For Mark Hazinski, the men's national team coach for USA Table Tennis, Sunday's matches brought a personal highlight.

"It's the first time to play against Wang Liqin, so that's exciting. He is always an idol I've looked up to," Hazinski told China Daily.

"He's quite tall, so I tried to copy a lot of things from his game. It's an honor to play with him," said Hazinski, who also took part in previous ping-pong diplomacy events.

Virginia Sung, CEO of USA Table Tennis, highlighted the sport's role in building bridges. "It speaks across languages and cultures, and reminds us that even the smallest ball can carry the weight of friendship and understanding," she said.

Sung added that the relationship "has only grown stronger — not just at the elite level, but through youth exchanges, the Ping Pong Diplomacy Gala and meaningful events like this that continue to strengthen the ties between our communities."

Former Nevada governor Steve Sisolak echoed that sentiment, saying: "I think that our leaders need to have some of the energy and the thoughtfulness that these young people have. They find a way to get along and get together and make things better for all of us, because when we're apart, we're not very strong, but when we're working together, we're incredibly powerful and incredibly strong."

That spirit of cooperation was visible not only among professionals but also within the local community. A Las Vegas table tennis enthusiast, who adopted the Chinese name Ma Long, donated two tables to the Nevada US-China Cultural Association ahead of Sunday's event to promote the sport locally.

"Table tennis is gaining popularity in Las Vegas, especially among children," he said, noting that his coach is sponsoring him for a one-month training program in Shanghai.

Looking forward to the upcoming visit to China, he said, "You got to learn from the best."