Chinese Media Dub Iran’s Faraji ‘The Real Giant Slayer’
WANA (Oct 15) – Fifteen-year-old Iranian table tennis player Benyamin Faraji has once again amazed fans at the 28th Asian Table Tennis Championships in India by defeating Lin Shidong, the world’s No. 2 player from China, in a thrilling quarterfinal match.
Faraji, who played alongside Noshad Alamian and Amirhossein Hodaei for Team Iran, opened the tie against powerhouse China with an extraordinary 3–2 victory over Lin. He won the second, third, and decisive fifth games, repeating the kind of magic that saw him beat Wang Chuqin, the world No. 1 and Olympic champion, at last year’s event.
Chinese Reaction: “The Real Giant Slayer”
Faraji’s upset win received widespread attention in Chinese sports media, which even dubbed the young Iranian “The Real Giant Slayer.” One Chinese outlet, while lamenting Lin’s defeat, praised Faraji’s unique skill and composure:
“We lost a match we shouldn’t have lost. Faraji has remarkable qualities — his spin control is difficult to handle, his touch on the ball is exceptional, and his backhand rivals Lin Shidong’s. He is fearless in decisive moments.”
14-Year-Old Iranian Table Tennis Player Defeats World Number One
WANA (Oct 08) – The Iranian and Chinese national table tennis teams competed in the Asian Championship, which commenced with a significant victory by Iranian player Benyamin Faraji. On the second day of the championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Iran’s men’s team faced China in the quarterfinals today. The match is currently underway in the […]
The report went on to note Lin’s hesitation during key rallies: “Lin didn’t dare to strike with power. The boy across the table didn’t look that strong, but Lin played too cautiously, waiting for mistakes instead of attacking. Why? Because he couldn’t manage Faraji’s spinning shots. Benyamin Faraji is a real giant slayer and a hidden talent.”
Recognized by ITTF as a Future Star
Faraji’s impressive victories have made him one of the brightest young prospects in Asian table tennis. He has been part of the ITTF’s WTT Future Stars program for two consecutive years — a global initiative supported by the Olympic Solidarity Fund and championed by Liu Guoliang, President of the Chinese Table Tennis Association — designed to nurture emerging talent and promote diversity in global play styles.
Iran’s Battle for Fifth Place
In the 5th–8th placement matches, Iran faced South Korea. Despite standout performances from Faraji and Alamian — who both earned wins against higher-ranked opponents — Iran narrowly lost 3–2.
Faraji defeated An Jaehyun (world No. 13) 3–2 to give Iran an early lead, but after two losses, Alamian leveled the score before Faraji fell 0–3 to Joon Sung in the deciding match.
Iranian table tennis player Benyamin Faraji. Social media/ WANA News Agency
