Alice Chang and Jason Siaw posing with Helena Wee (centre).
KUCHING: Two of the state’s top junior paddlers will represent Malaysia at the Korea Junior and Cadet Open Table Tennis in Cheong Yang, South Korea, from Aug 25-29.
They are 18-year-old Jason Siaw Ting Shen and 15-year-old Alice Chang Li Sian, both from the Kuching Division Table Tennis Association (KDTTA).
KDTTA chairperson Helena Christine Wee said this was another achievement for the association which has consistently produced players to represent Sarawak and Malaysia both in local and international competitions.
“We are proud that Jason and Alice have been selected by Table Tennis Association of Malaysia (TTAM) to represent the country at the Korea junior meet. Out of the six-member national team, we
have two players and that is really a significant achievement for us,”
she told The Borneo Post.
This is the third time that Jason, who is undergoing his foundation studies at Sunway College in Kuala Lumpur and Alice, a third former three student of SMK Sungai Maong, are donning national colours in a junior competition.
They were part of the national teams which competed in the 21st South-east Asia Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championship and the 21st Asian Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championship in Kuala Lumpur in June and July respectively.
“Jason and Alice are both ‘chopper’ paddlers groomed by Chua Chiaw Lian and the Kuching Elite Table Tennis Centre. “We are the only elite centre in Malaysia that produces choppers and they have frequently shone and excelled in national championships,” said Wee, who is also KDTTA coach.
Expressing her satisfaction over the recent performances and achievements of the players from the Kuching Elite Centre, Wee revealed that since 2002, the centre had produced more than 20 youth and senior national paddlers who competed in various international championships.
The centre’s excellent track record include its players who are key members of the state team had helped Sarawak capture Sukma overall champion title for
five consecutive terms from 2002 to 2010, and won gold medals in the individual and team events in Sukma.
“We have also excelled in TTAM organised championships such as Malaysia Open, U18, U17, U15, U13, U10 and Sukma competitions sanctioned by TTAM.
“Lancelot Chua Kher Wi, an outstanding Kuching player, had once achieved a table tennis Grand Slam by having won the singles in all the above mentioned competitions,” added Wee.
She said due to the good track record, the Kuching training centre was upgraded as an Elite Training Centre in 2002 by the Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS) and it was able to receive
monthly rental subsidy and have a full-time China sparring partner
as well as former Sukma players as sparring partners or coaches.
Wee credited the KDTTA committee, coaches, parents and players for working closely together and contributing to the successes over the years.
“We would also like to specially
thank MSNS sports champion Linda Ling for her assistance from 2002 to March 2015 and having shared the joyful memorable moments with us,” said Wee.
“We wouldn’t be what and where we are today without the strong support from MSNS and the Ministry of Social Development and we hope that they will continue to give us the same support for the
development and betterment of sports in Kuching, Sarawak and Malaysia as a whole,” she added. — by Ting Tieng Hee