Karen with her father Dick.
KUCHING: Junior paddler Karen Lyne Dick is playing a waiting game as she approaches a critical career choice.
The 13-year old form one student of SMK Methodist, Sibu has about six months to decide whether to join the Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) in Kuala Lumpur.
The next intake of students at the national sports school is January.
Karen, who is of Bidayuh-Chinese parentage, was a revelation at the recent national and regional junior championships held in in Alor Setar, Kedah and the Olympic Council of Malaysia Hall, Kuala Lumpur respectively.
Karen picked up table tennis at the age of nine when she was in primary three.
She started impressing local selectors in U10 tournaments. By 2012, Karen was already ranked among the top 10 players in national junior circles.
In 2013, she was a member of Sarawak’s winning Girls U12 team at the national schools championship.
Last year, she helped Sarawak retain the title as well as finishing second in the singles.
At this year’s 35th Milo Malaysia Junior and Cadet Championship from June 10-13, Karen outshone her seniors to bag the U18 singles gold. She teamed up with Kuching’s Tay Lynn Jia to capture the U15 doubles gold while coming third in the U15 singles.
The state team also emerged overall champions after a lapse of seven years.
In selection trials held in Melaka in May, Karen was among 10 players from Sarawak chosen to represent Malaysia in the 21st Southeast Asia Junior and Cadet Championship. She was ranked No. 3 in the Girls U15. In her debut appearance at the regional meet, Karen was a member of the Girls U15 team which captured the bronze.
“Karen is willing to give it a try at BJSS as she will have the chance to train under the national coaches who were quite impressed by her performance both at the selection trial and the national meet,” her father Dick Patrick Kukut told the Borneo Post.
In fact, one of the coaches had recommended Karen to study at BJSS.
“We will let her study there for a few months and see whether she can adapt to the conditions and we can always let her come back if she’s not happy there,” said Dick who is worried about young Karen being away from home.
Meanwhile, the Mathematics teacher at SK Kampung Bahagia Jaya, Sibu is hoping that Sarawak State Sports Council can help Table Tennis Association of Sarawak to get a foreign coach soon. He believes Karen will benefit whether such a coach is based in Kuching, Sibu or Miri.