Kuching paddlers re-affirm their supremacy

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Chua (left) and Wee posing with top performers Jason Siaw Ting Shen (second left) and Christopher Goh Kho Hian Hui.

Chua (left) and Wee posing with top performers Jason Siaw Ting Shen (second left) and Christopher Goh Kho Hian Hui.

TTAS president Michael Teo (ninth left) presents the challenge trophy to Wee as Chua (seventh left), coaches, officials and players look on.

TTAS president Michael Teo (ninth left) presents the challenge trophy to Wee as Chua (seventh left), coaches, officials and players look on.

KUCHING: Kuching proved that they are still the team to beat at the 55th Sarawak Inter-Division Table Tennis Championship that ended in Bintulu last weekend.

Despite missing the services of several senior players who were absent due to work or study commitments, Kuching still managed to capture 11 gold, five silver and 12 bronze medals to be crowned the overall champions for the 15th consecutive year since 2001.

The Kuching Division Table Tennis Association (KDTTA) fielded 32 players who were accompanied by nine officials in the annual state championship of the Table Tennis Association of Sarawak (TTAS).

They took part in seven out of eight team events and 13 out of 16 individual events, sweeping the boys and men’s team events as well as the boys and men’s singles events.

Four golds in the team events were from Men’s Open Team, Boys Youth team (U18), Boys Hopes Team (U13) and Girls Youth Team (U18) and the silvers were won in the Women’s Open Team and Girls Youth Team.

Newly crowned Boys U13 national champion Christopher Goh Kho Hian Hui and Jason Siaw Ting Shen were the best performers with four golds each while those who also impressed were Alice Chang Li Sian and Alfred Ting Wei Hong.

Christopher was the champion in the Boys U15 singles, Boys U13 singles, Boys Hopes Team and Boys Youth Team while Sukma XVI men’s team bronze medallist Jason won the gold medals in the Boys U18 singles, Men’s Open singles, Men’s Open Team and Boys Youth Team.

On the other hand, Alice was the gold medallist in the Women’s Open singles, Girls U15 singles and Girls Youth Team and Alfred Ting was the Boys U10 singles champion.

Kuching’s silver medals were delivered by Liu Kian Hoong in the Men’s Open singles, Andy Jong Ngu Suai-Rayford Kho Jin Hian in the Men’s doubles and Kueh Jiin Jiang in the Boys U10 singles.

The bronze medals came from Chai Kiang Ann (Men’s Open singles), Andrea Tan Ruen Yuen (Women’s Open singles, Girls U18 singles), Jonathan Goh Kho Hian Hock (Boys U15 singles), Tay Lynn Jia (Girls U15 singles, Girls U13 singles), Louis Chung Kian Fu (Boys U13 singles), Too Ying Xin-Joanne Chen Yi Xi (Girls U10 singles), Liu Kian Hoong-Liew Chee Gang (Men’s doubles) and Tay Lynn Jia-Kylie Teo Liyi, Andrea Tan-Alice Chang (Women’s doubles).

“We are very satisfied with the achievements of our paddlers. Every gold won counts and due to our paddlers’ strong fighting spirit, determination and perseverance, we managed to retain the overall championship crown,” said chief coach Chua Chiaw Lian.

He admitted it was a tough fight to defend the title as former national paddlers Kueh Wan May, Chai Kian Beng and Matteus Aloysious were unable to compete, the trio could have won 10 gold medals in between them.

“On the first two day of competition in the team and doubles events, three teams Sibu, Samarahan and Kuching were neck to neck with six gold medals each but we managed to grab more golds in the individual events,” he added.

KDTTA chairperson Helena Christine Wee, who was also one the team coaches, took the opportunity to extend the team’s gratitude and appreciation to the association president Simon Wong Wee Khiong, honorary presidents and chairmen, table tennis enthusiasts, companies and parents for their generous contributions to enable the Kuching team take part in the state meet.