Hong Kong will send a 10-member table tennis squad to compete across seven events at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with the team setting its sights on adding to the city’s medal tally.
Veteran player Wong Chun-ting said the squad had completed a training camp on the mainland, where players were able to test themselves against high-level opponents as part of their final preparations.
The team has also continued competing in international tournaments to maintain its competitive form, with Wong saying everyone was heading into the Asian Games with the same goal of challenging for medals.
The five men’s representatives are (from left) Kwan Man-ho, Lam Siu-hang, Wong Chun-ting, Baldwin Chan Ho-wah and Yiu Kwan-to.
The five women’s representatives are (from left) Su Tsz-tung, Ng Wing-lam, Doo Hoi-kem, Lam Yee-lok and Karen Lee Hoi-man.
Hong Kong’s paddlers have shown encouraging form in the build-up to the Games. At the WTT Sweden Grand Smash in August, Wong and Baldwin Chan Ho-wah reached the men’s doubles final, while Doo Hoi-kem and Ng Wing-lam took silver in the women’s doubles and Wong and Doo finished runners-up in the mixed doubles.
Chan said the mainland training camp included targeted work aimed at addressing weaknesses and sharpening individual techniques. He said the squad was in strong overall condition heading into the competition.
Wong, who won a men’s singles bronze medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, will again partner Doo in the mixed doubles. The pair have competed together for years but have yet to win an Asian Games medal as a partnership.
Doo said the pair would head to Nagoya with a podium finish firmly in their sights.
For Ng, the Games will mark her first Asian Games appearance. The 22-year-old said she was excited about the opportunity and hoped to enjoy the experience while producing her best performance for Hong Kong. Ng has emerged as one of the team’s rising players and partnered Doo to a breakthrough women’s doubles silver at the Sweden Grand Smash.
Head coach Li Ching said Hong Kong players had delivered encouraging results in international competition over the past two months and hoped they could raise their level further at the Asian Games.
He said the target was for the squad to convert its recent form into strong results and medals for Hong Kong.
Head Coach of Hong Kong Table Tennis Team Li Ching.
