Yii (seventh left) presenting the team colours to Wong (fifth right) while Teo (sixth right), Choo (seventh right), Wee (fourth right) and others look on. — Photo by Chai Boon Tart
KUCHING: The Kuching Division Table Tennis Association (KDTTA) is out to defend its crown at the 54th Sarawak Open Table Tennis Championship in Sarikei from Dec 9-13.
Having won the overall championship title for 13 consecutive years since 2001, the 56-member KDTTA team including nine coaches and six officials wants to add another feather to the cap.
Last year, Kuching won 14 gold, eight silver and 15 bronze medals to top the championship.
Team manager-cum-coach Helena Christine Wee is expecting the challenge to retain the championship crown to be tougher this year as they are without key players Kueh Wan May and Matteus Aloysious.
“Former Sukma paddler Wan May, who is studying at HELP university in Kuala Lumpur, is now competing at the World Inter-University Games in Indonesia while Matteus is doing his Masters in Sports Science in Kuala Lumpur,” said Wee.
Matteus had consistently contributed two gold medals in the Non-Chinese competition over the years while Wan May has always delivered medals for Kuching in the women’s individual and team events.
The good news for the team is that two former and current national paddlers are back to boost its challenge in the state meet at SMK Tinggi, Sarikei’s school hall.
“We will have the services of Chai Kian Beng for the men’s competition while national paralympic paddler Ting Ing Hock will vie for medals in the Men’s Veteran and Men’s Singles (45 years and above),” said Wee.
She said the outcome of the championship will depend very much on the younger players on competition day.
Kuching will be taking part in all 16 individual and team events.
The team events are Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Men’s Veteran, Non-Chinese, Boys U18, Girls U18, Boys U13 and Girls U13 while the doubles events are Men’s Open doubles and Women’s Open doubles.
Individual events to be competed are Men’s/Women’s Open, Boys/Girls U18, Boys/Girls U15, Boys/Girls U13, Boys/Girls U10, Men’s Veteran 45-54 years old, Men’s Veteran 55 years and above, Women’s Veteran 40 and above and Non-Chinese.
“We would like to convey our heartfelt gratitude to main sponsor and honorary president Dato Yii Chi Hau who is also our contingent leader, honorary president Simon Wong Vui Kiong who sponsored the team jerseys, other honorary presidents and chairmen, table tennis enthusiasts, companies and parents for their contribution to enable us to participate in this annual grand event,” said Wee.
In a simple ceremony at the Kuching Elite Table Tennis Training Centre at Lorong 8, Jalan Laksamana Cheng Ho on Saturday, Dato Yii presented the KDTTA flag to the men’s team manager Simon Wong. Also present were Table Tennis Association of Malaysia vice president Micheal Teo who is also Table Tennis Association of Sarawak president and KDTTA honorary chairman Choo Kwong Huong.
The Kuching team will depart to Sarikei today and return on Dec 14.