Hong Kong table tennis players pave path for homegrown talent
Lee Ho-ching and Ng Wing-nam, whose potential was nurtured in city's junior development programme, win a bronze in women's doubles event
Hong Kong women's table tennis team entered a new era with homegrown talents taking centre stage after Lee Ho-ching collected two team event medals at the Asian Games in Incheon.
A product of the junior development programme, Lee partnered Jiang Tianyi to capture a silver medal in the mixed doubles and a bronze in the doubles with her long-time partner Ng Wing-nam.
Lee and Ng are both in their early 20s and are making their Asian Games debuts in Incheon after advancing through the ranks.
They have a lot of things to learn before they can be as experienced as their seniors
The mixed doubles pair lost 4-1 to reigning world champions Kim Hyok-bong and Kim Jong, of North Korea, in the final, but had they taken their chances in the first three games, they might have changed the result.
"We had two chances to net game points in the first match, but could not take them and then also lost the next game after deuce," said Lee.
"They took the advantage and went all the away to win the match with a very solid performance in the closing stages.
"It was a bit disappointing as it is not easy to reach the final in a major games. We blew away our chances and after all, the next Asian Games won't come until four years later," added Lee, who was emotional after losing in the final.
The North Korea pair won the gold medal with a score of 12-10, 12-10, 10-12, 11-6, 11-6.
In the doubles, Lee and Ng took the first game of their semi-final tie against second seeds Zhu Yuling and Chen Meng, of China, but once the mainlanders upped the tempo, they found it too difficult to handle and lost 4-1 (4-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-4, 11-4).
Despite her age, 21-year-old Lee said she and Ng, 22, now had to take the lead role in the women's team although there were still veterans around such as Tie Yana and Jiang Huajun.
"We were assigned the task at the world team championships in May, but it is the two individual medals we won here that has reinforced our roles," said Lee.
"As a player, I love challenges and always strive to do better.
"After we suffered a poor performance in the team event, we got pressure from the coach to improve in the individual events, and I am happy we could prove that we could rise to the challenge."
Head coach Chan Kong-wah said the two young women were gradually taking up their responsibilities despite the fact that they were still green on the international stage.
"They have a lot of things to learn before they can be as experienced as their seniors like Tie and Jiang, but we have to give them the opportunity," said the coach.
"They both came through our youth training programme and we have to give them chances if they are capable."
The coach was pleased with the two medals after they won only one silver in Guangzhou four years ago.
"I felt extremely disappointed when we lost the men's team medal after missing three match points against Taiwan and allowing them to come back.
"There is a lot of more hard work that the men's team have to put in for a better future," the coach added.
