File photo of Malaysia’s Alice Chang Li Sian returning a shot at the Perfect 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championship in Melawati Stadium, Shah Alam. — Bernama photo
KUCHING: After a stellar year, national paddler Alice Chang Li Sian is hoping for a place in the national table tennis squad for next year’s XXI Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.
Her most recent achievement was in the 54th Malaysia Open Table Championship at the OCM hall in Kuala Lumpur where she won two gold medals.
Alice and teammates Kueh Wan May, Sammi Tay Yuen Ning successfully delivered the Sarawak’s first gold in the women’s team final where they beat Selangor 3-1.
The 17-year old from Kuching went on to win the women’s singles gold when she edged Johor’s Tee Ai Xin 4-2 in a six-setter.
According to Alice, both finalists had produced their best game during the final.
Alice added that she played her normal game with a steady mind and didn’t focus on just wanting to winning the game.
“I have done well in local and national meets but there is a lot of room for improvement for me to do better in international competitions,” she told The Borneo Post in a telephone interview.
She is also hoping that for her good performance in the recent 54th Malaysia Open Table Championship, she would be selected to the national team for the Commonwealth Games.
Earlier this year, Alice won three gold medals in the girls singles, girls doubles and girls team at the MSSM Table Tennis Championship.
She won the gold in girls singles and girls team events as well as silver in girls doubles at the 37th Malaysia Youth Table Tennis Championship.
Other notable achievements included team bronze at the ITTF Set Thailand Junior and Cadet Open, girls singles and team silver at the South East Asia Junior and Cadet Championships.
Alice was part of the Malaysian team that won the team bronze at the last SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur and was the winner of the MSNS Sports Awards ‘2017 Most Promising Women’s Athlete’ category.