Li Chunli

Li Chunli
Li (right) after being appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2017
Other spellings:	李春麗 / 李春丽
Nation:	New Zealand
Date of birth:	February 28, 1962
Place of birth:	Guiping
Playing hand:	right
How to play:	Penholder
Best world ranking :	37 (May 2001)

Li Chunli ( Chinese  李春麗  /  李春丽 , Pinyin Lǐ Chūnlì ; born February 28, 1962 in Guiping ) is a former Chinese and later New Zealand table tennis player . At the World Cup in 1997 she won the bronze medal and was part of the Chinese team in 1982 Asian champion.

Career

Li Chunli became one of the best table tennis players in China and was particularly successful in doubles. She was Chinese mixed champion twice. Li emigrated to New Zealand in 1987 and then represented her new country until she retired in 2004 to become national coach.

She took part in four Olympic Games and twice in the Commonwealth Games . In 2011 she came out of her retirement and started to represent New Zealand again. Li led the New Zealand team at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. For several years she stayed temporarily in Tokyo to compete in the lucrative Japanese professional league.

At the 2017 New Year Awards, Li was named a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for Services to Table Tennis.

Private

Li Chunli's younger sister, Karen Li, is also a New Zealand national team player.

Results from the ITTF database

Association	event	year	place	country	singles	Double	Mixed	team
CHN	Asian Championship	1982	Jakarta	IDN				1
NZL	Olympic games	2004	Athens	GRE	last 32	last 16
NZL	Olympic games	2000	Sydney	OUT	last 32	immediately excluded
NZL	Olympic games	1996	Atlanta	United States	immediately excluded
NZL	Olympic games	1992	Barcelona	ESP	immediately excluded
NZL	Commonwealth Games	2014	Glasgow	SCO	last 16			3
NZL	Commonwealth Games	2002	Manchester	CLOSELY	gold	silver	Semifinals	3
NZL	Pro tour	2003	Guangzhou	CHN	last 32	last 32
NZL	Pro tour	2003	Kobe	JPN	last 32
NZL	World Championship	2012	Dortmund	GER				48
NZL	World Championship	2010	Moscow	RUS				36
NZL	World Championship	2003	Paris	FRA	last 32	last 32
NZL	World Championship	2001	Osaka	JPN	last 64		last 128
NZL	World Championship	2000	Kuala Lumpur	MAS				32
NZL	World Championship	1999	Eindhoven	NED	last 32		last 32
NZL	World Championship	1991	Chiba	JPN		last 32
NZL	World cup	2013	Kobe	JPN	Agony
NZL	World cup	2012	Huangshi	CHN	ICC Group (2nd place)
NZL	World cup	1998	Taipei	TPE	Quarter finals
NZL	World cup	1997	Shanghai	CHN	3rd place

Web links

• Ian Marshall: Li Chunli, Oceania's best ever? Article about Li Chunli from June 8, 2020 on the website of the World Table Tennis Association (ittf.com) (accessed on August 2, 2020)
• Li Chunli was China's gift to New Zealand sport. (accessed on August 2, 2020)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ tischtennis magazine , 2020/7 page 43
2. ↑ Li Chunli, Oceania's best ever? June 8, 2020, accessed August 2, 2020 (UK English). 
3. ↑ New Year Honors List 2017. Accessed August 2, 2020 (en-NZ). 
4. ↑ Players matches. Retrieved August 2, 2020 . 
5. ↑ Li Chunli. Retrieved August 2, 2020 . 

Note: This article places the family name before the person's first name. This is the usual order in Chinese. Li is the family name here, Chunli is the first name.