The award recipients with Chen (left).
SIBU: Sibu Table Tennis Association is all for the selection trial of state paddlers for the National Youth championship to be held in Sibu annually.
“Sibu is not only strategically located but has all the facilities that enable us to stage the selection trials,” its chairman Dr Clement Chen said during the Ping Pong Night held here last Sunday.
Also present were association secretary Desmond Ling, honorary chairman Ling Heu Chuong and Table Tennis Association of Sarawak (TTAS) deputy chairman Paul Ling Kiing Tasn.
Staging the trials in Sibu, Chen believed, would help to save costs and time.
“Players from Miri need not fly all the way to Kuching and that alone help save costs. We will be very happy to be the host for all the future selection trials,” he added.
Chen was happy that the 2016 selection trial had attracted about 90 paddlers from throughout the state.
“This is the first time that we managed to attract so many players. Perhaps it’s due to our strategic location that enabled more players to come,” he said, adding that all 18 tables at the Ping Pong hall at Merdeka Road here were fully utilized.
In addition, Chen also suggested that other divisions could open up their competitions to players from throughout the state.
He said this could broaden the base of players.
At the dinner, the association presented the annual incentives to players who represented the state and the nation last year.
Among them were Karen Lyne Dick, Crystal Tiong and Sia Hsiao Ling who represented the country last year.
Meanwhile, the 12 picked to represent Sarawak for the National Youth Championship following last weekend’s selection trial were Christopher Goh Koh, Too Ying Chuan, Joel Chen (Boy’s Under-15), Tay Lynn Jia, Sammi Tay and Elicia Tsia (Girl’s U-15), Derrick Tsan, Gabriel Ling and Clement Chiew (Boy’s U-18) and Crystal Tiong, Andrea Tan and Catherine Chan (Girl’s U-18).