Ray Huang (R), one of the three Chinese-American teenagers from the New Jersey Table Tennis Club, won the junior boys' team event at the 2016 US Table Tennis Championships this week in Las Vegas. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Ye, who is from China, started playing when he was 8. He is ranked 87th in the world in the under-18 category.

Zhao, who is also from China, made the Shandong province table tennis team when he was 11 years old. He played in the 2015 US Open and finished third in the under-21 men's event.

The team is coached by Bochao Li, who was a member of the Chinese national table tennis team. Li is a well-known player and coach in New Jersey.

Tian and Zhao came to the United States and trained at NJTTC, bringing their advanced skills acquired through years of training in China. It was at the New Jersey club where they met Huang.

Li realized the potential of the young players and suggested they form a team. That's how the NJTTC junior boys' team was formed, and at the 2016 US Open, the talented young athletes' championship dream came true.