Actor Huang Xiaoming sends out 100 red packets to celebrate cousin Chen Meng’s Olympic gold

Chinese actor Huang Xiaoming. Photo from Huang’s Weibo

The 47-year-old actor expressed his elation after Chen, 30, won against her fellow Chinese teammate Sun Yingsha in the final on August 3, with a score of 4-2, as reported by The Straits Times.

A widely-used messaging platform in China, WeChat also includes features such as a virtual wallet and payment capabilities.

A screenshot from a WeChat group chat that later appeared on Weibo revealed Huang jokingly mentioning that he received more congratulations for Chen’s victory than for his own acting achievements.

The actor also expressed his admiration for the match on Weibo, stating: “Thanks to the two athletes for giving us such an exciting match. It made me lose my breath. These girls are the best.”

“Congratulations to Mengmeng [Huang’s affectionate nickname for Chen], you did it,” he further added. “You handled all the pressure and once again proved yourself with your abilities. You will always be our pride.”

Huang is recognized as one of China’s most successful and influential actors, with notable roles in films and series like “The Return of the Condor Heroes,” “Shanghai Bund,” and “Summer’s Desire.”

Chen joined the provincial team at age 9 and the national team at 13 in 2007. Her recent win at the Paris Olympics marks her as the third woman in history to achieve back-to-back Olympic gold medals in table tennis, following her previous success at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

According to the Chongqing Times, Huang and Chen are second cousins, as their paternal grandmothers were sisters.