Cruz said she admires many Chinese table tennis star players but her only idol is Lariba.

Lariba, a Philippine table tennis Olympian who passed away in September 2018 after a battle with leukemia, carried the Philippine flag at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

"She (Lariba) made huge progress when she trained in Beijing," Cruz said about her idol. "I want to be an Olympic athlete like Lariba but first I need to improve my skills by competing with Chinese players in China."

A tournament established by a Chinese-Filipino tycoon plays a decisive role in Cruz's trip to China.

Founded in 2005, the Uni-Orient Cup Interscholastic Table Tennis League has become a highly competitive and influential large-scale table tennis tournament, attracting thousands of Filipinos every single year.

The tournament's organizers have sponsored dozens of outstanding young Philippine table tennis players to pay a visit to China. The late Lariba was among those who participated in the tournament and then trained in China.

The League also invited experienced Chinese coaches and players to the Philippines to teach Philippine teenagers more about the sport.

It even facilitated the visit of Chinese table tennis world champion Liu Wei to the Philippines in April 2017. Liu's visit inspired many Filipino youths who aspire to become table tennis players.

Wilson Techico, the vice chairman of the Uni-Orient Travel Inc. and son of the tournament's founder Stephen Techico, hopes the cup can pave the way for more Philippine-China table tennis exchanges.

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