June 2026 Athlete of the Month
By Del Moon, NSGA Storyteller
Sylvana Airan, 72
Lincoln, Nebraska
Table Tennis
When Sylvana Airan was growing up in Karachi, Pakistan, her mother entered her in a costume contest at age 5. She won by portraying a Mughal king. The prize? A table tennis set with a net, ball and paddles – but no table.
“My father bought a table, and we played all the time,” she recalls. “He didn’t really teach me how to play, I would sit and just watch him. I have his style of playing, because he always chopped the ball, and he always played defensive.”
Her father gave her his paddle when she immigrated to America in 1978, and it is now proudly displayed in Sylvana’s home in Lincoln, Nebraska. Coming to America was a longtime dream, driven by faith.
“I’m a Christian by background, and there was persecution,” she explains. “So as a child I said, ‘I’m going to go to America where the missionaries come from. And I did not know how that was going to come about.’”
After earning a degree in Pakistan, Sylvana applied to colleges in the United States. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln was the first to respond, and Sylvana has lived in the area ever since. She worked for the university for 44 years, primarily in housing administration and the Rwandan Scholar program.
Top left: Sylvana (second from left) with her parents and sisters. Bottom left: The costume that sparked Sylvana’s lifelong passion for table tennis. Right: Sylvana as a youth with some of her many table tennis trophies. All photos courtesy Sylvana Airan.
Table Tennis for Life
Once settled in Nebraska, Sylvana took her father’s paddle to the local table tennis club and tournaments and discovered the all-ages Cornhusker State Games. In addition to winning a long string of championships as she moved through age categories, she also became a regular volunteer for their table tennis events. When the event director had to step down due to health reasons seven years ago, Sylvana stepped up to organize the competition.
While work commitments kept her from joining in Nebraska Senior Games until after she retired, Sylvana has competed with her peers annually since 2019 and traveled to the National Senior Games in 2023 and 2025. While she has her share of state and local gold medals, she did not expect to win on the big stage.
Sylvana Airan and her women’s doubles partner, Yan Yan Hao, sporting their gold medals won at the 2025 National Senior Games presented by Humana. Photo courtesy Sylvana Airan.
“To my shock, I won the gold for women’s doubles with Yan Yan Hao last year in Des Moines. We had never met until we got there and we only practiced a little bit the night before,” she says with some awe. “If you had told me even 10 or 15 years ago, ‘Hey, you’re going to be playing in the National Senior Games, and you might even win,’ I would have said you’re crazy.”
Before long, Sylvana took an interest in playing in other State Senior Games. Along the way, she picked up two other Nebraska players, Rick Kolb and Dave Knibbe, as travel partners. “My goal has become to see how many State Senior Games we can do,” she reveals. “I’ve done 18, so I have a long ways to go!”
Good for the Body, Good for the Soul
Sylvana believes her father gifted her with much more than a paddle and a pastime. “It’s good exercise, and it’s good for aging,” she asserts. “I think the big benefit that we all talk about is the hand-eye coordination. I’ve heard that it stimulates different parts of the brain, so it burns calories and keeps the brain sharp.”
She also points out the inclusivity of the sport. “You can be any age or gender or even be disabled. I’ve seen people in wheelchairs with oxygen tanks playing, and it’s absolutely amazing and so encouraging to see that.”
As a social person, Sylvana also cherishes the relationships she has formed from playing table tennis. “This is an international sport, and I’ve met people of all ages, all kinds of ethnic backgrounds and from all over the world,” she says. “I love that part of it. And as you get to know people, it starts with camaraderie, and then it grows into friendships. It’s just been a wonderful experience.”
Sylvana and her Senior Games travel buddies, Rick Kolb and David Knibbe. Photo courtesy Sylvana Airan.
Sylvana is grateful she also has her siblings nearby. “My sisters Daphne and Sandra are by my side on a regular basis, encouraging me. They make it possible for me to attend the tournaments by taking care of my cats and home while I am away.”
“How Can I Encourage My Opponent?”
A player’s style can say a lot about a person. Sylvana says two strangers once observed how centered she was while playing and realized that it reflects her spiritual approach to life. “They came up to me and said, ‘You’re very calm, you’re very consistent. This is how your life must be and how you treat things that come up in your life.’
“And when I thought about it, it is because when I prepare, I’m actually praying about it,” she continues. “I start my day with prayer, and before any tournaments I pray asking, ‘How can I encourage my opponent? How can I be a beacon of light, life, and light in my opponent’s life?’”
Through all of her experiences, Sylvana is still amazed her dream came true and that she is a citizen of the United States. “I’m just very thankful to God for giving me this opportunity to be able to come here where I have the safety and the freedom that many countries don’t have.”
