No Medals but Hong Kong Girls Complete Team Event as True Champions
By: Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
02/25/2012 2012 Asian Championships 2011
Defeat at the quarter-final stage of the Women's Team event on the opening day of play; they were beaten by Japan.
Two days later, Hong Kong departed the arena in the East Asia Games Dome late on the morning of Saturday 25th February 2012 as champions, true champions.
Yu Kwok See, Lee Ho Ching and Ng Wing Nam departed heads held high, as the local media massed for interviews.
They were treated as local heoines; they reside just one hour by jetfoil frm the ferry port in Taipa, the area of Macau which is hosting the Asian Table Tennis Championships.
Local Girls
True champions, they are all born and bred in Hong Kong; they have learned their table tennis skills in what is now a Special Administrative Region of China.
None have been imported.
Learned Skills in China
The likes of Tie Yana, Jiang Huajun, Lin Ling and Zhang Rui, who have formed the Hong Kong Team for the past decade and more are all fine players, fine people and they represent Hong Kong with pride and determination.
However, all learned their skills in mainland China before crossing the border.
Response
Hong Kong has clearly responded to the recently introduced regulations for world title events, whereby a player cannot represent a different national association without serving an eligibility period - three years if under 15, five years in under 18, seven years if under 21 and older not allowed.
A response from Hong Kong and the trio Yu Kwok See, Lee Ho Ching and Ng Wing Nam has responded.
Only Lee Ho Ching Won
In the three-one defeat at the hands of Japan, the one winner for Hong Kong was Lee Ho Ching; she beat Sayaka Hirano.
Tie Yana lost to both Ai Fukuhara and Kasumi Ishikawa; whilst Jiang Huajun also suffered in opposition to Ai Fukuhara.
Fifth Highest Possible
Defeat in the quarter-finals meant that the highest possible finish was fifth place; the highest possible finish was achieved.
Li Huifen, the Women's National Team coach selected the trio of Lee Ho Ching, Ng Wing Nam and Yu Kwok See to play against DPR Korea, a country with a fine track record in female table tennis.
Rose to Occasion
Determined, the trio rose to the occasion; they played with a delightful freedom to record a three-one win. Lee Ho Ching, the runner up the previous week in the Under 21 Women's Singles event at the GAC GROUP 2012 ITTF World Tour Kuwait Open, was the star of the performance.
She remained unbeaten, accounting for Kim Jong (10-12, 11-1, 11-5, 11-6) and Kim Hye Song (11-6, 11-9, 11-5); the one further win came when Ng Wing Nam recovered from a two games to nil deficit tp beat Kim Hye Song (9-11, 7-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-6).
The defeat for Hong Kong in the fixture against DPR Korea was suffered by Yu Kwok See but it was a very close reverse. She was beaten in five games (15-17, 6-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8) by the defensive skills of Ri Myong Sun.
Thought No Chance
Against Kim Jong I didn't think I had any chance of winning, I just tried my best and tried to be relaxed, explained Lee Ho Ching. When I played Kim Hye Song my feeling for the ball was good; that was important.
Faced Chinese Taipei
A three-one success against DPR Korea meant a contest against Chinese Taipei to determine fifth place.
In a fixture against a country who also fielded a home-grown team and a young team, a second three-one success was recorded.
The one defeat was inflicted by the very impressive Chen Szu-Yu; she beat the previous day
