Chinese pingpong champion Liang Geliang congratulates U.S. competitor George Braithwaite after their match Thursday at the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace in Yorba Linda. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
Braithwaite, 74, a native of Guyana, spent his career working for the United Nations. He volleys with Geliang. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
Spectator Connie Mesko tosses a ball to the table from her seat. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
Geliang, 58, is known for his all-around game. He is a steely strategist who plays defense and offense equally well. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
Spectators applaud during the match in the library’s replica of the East Room of the White House. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
Video crews document Thursday’s match. The event was the highlight of a three-day commemoration of the U.S. team’s trip to China in 1971. The team’s visit set the stage for President Nixon’s ground-breaking trip to China the next year. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
