Ping pong is not a game Americans are unfamiliar with, but when it comes to table tennis as a competitive sport — one that does not involve red solo cups — there is not the same mainstream recognition as other sports like basketball or soccer.

In fact, all four of Team USA’s table tennis players in Paris are Asian American. Ahead of their moment world stage, the players told NBC that they hope to bring more awareness to the sport, one point at a time.

For athletes Kanak Jha and Lily Zhang, one point turned into many as both made it into the round of 16 for their respective singles’ events. Jha is the first U.S men’s singles player to make it this far in the Olympics. Although neither player made it to the next round, this is already a big step for table tennis in the U.S. Their teammates Amy Wang and Rachel Sung will compete in the round of 16 for the women’s team competition on Tuesday, August 6.

Zhang is a four-time Olympian. As the child of immigrant parents from China, Zhang started playing table tennis as a child on her family’s dining room table. By age 10, Zhang was considered a prodigy and played with provincial teams in China. According to a profile by the Wall Street Journal, Zhang’s parents never planned for their daughter to take the sport beyond an impressive line on her resume.

Four Olympic runs later, Zhang’s parents stand by their hope that she will get a real job. Unfortunately, Zhang concedes that they have a point as the sport has slim potential for sponsorships and pays very little. At a competition in England last year, Zhang only made 650 USD.

When asked what it might take for the sport to go to the next level in the U.S, Zhang told USA Today, “Overall, it just needs more exposure, more media, more funding, more eyes on us.”

Perhaps what the sport needed was something a little unexpected. This past week, table tennis became a viral talking point online when basketball player Anthony Edwards, Team USA guard and player on the Minnesota Timberwolves, insisted that he would score at least one point against members of the U.S table tennis team.

Edwards’ teammate Stephen Curry upped the pressure, saying “They said they can smack you 21 nothing.”

Later, Edwards was seen in the stands cheering on Zhang during her match. Netizens quipped that Edwards is scouting out his competition. Though the future of table tennis in the U.S. is uncertain, a matchup between Edwards and Zhang would surely draw much attention online.

Banner image via USA Today.