DIPLOMACY ON THE SOCCER FIELD

Philadelphia Metro
Published 20:54, October the 13th, 2009

A table tennis player brought the U.S. and China together.A table
tennis player brought the U.S. and China together.

Photo

Glenn Cowan, a U.S. player, was so busy practicing for the 1971
World Table Tennis Championships in Japan that he missed his team
bus. A Chinese player invited him on the Chinese team bus instead,
which led to friendly talk and even a gift exchange. It also led to
a diplomatic breakthrough for the U.S. and the People’s Republic of
China, whose relations had been frosty for over two decades.

Without Glenn Cowan, former President Richard Nixon may not have made
his historic visit to China.

Now Turkish and Armenian soccer players are set to repeat their
ping-pong colleagues’ diplomatic feat. Armenian President Serzh
Sarkisian will visit Turkey as the two national teams square off
against each other in a World Cup qualifying game there today.

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Diplomacy on the soccer field

Glenn Cowan, a U.S. player, was so busy practicing for the 1971
World Table Tennis Championships in Japan that he missed his team
bus. A Chinese player invited him on the Chinese team bus instead,
which led to friendly talk and even a gift exchange. It also led to
a diplomatic breakthrough for the U.S. and the People’s Republic of
China, whose relations had been frosty for over two decades.

Without Glenn Cowan, former President Richard Nixon may not have made
his historic visit to China.

Now Turkish and Armenian soccer players are set to repeat their
ping-pong colleagues’ diplomatic feat. Armenian President Serzh
Sarkisian will visit Turkey as the two national teams square off
against each other in a World Cup qualifying game there today.