News : The Star online

Monday July 9, 2012

Source:

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2012/7/9/central/11573578&sec=central

Girls to the fore

By NG WEI LOON
weiloon@thestar.com.my
Photos by GLENN GUAN

KUALA Lumpur rode on the strength of their reliable girls’ Under-15 squad for a fruitful campaign at the 32nd Milo Malaysia Youth table tennis championships at the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) Indoor Sports Arena, Kuala Lumpur recently.

Team manager Teoh Hock Poh said they were satisfied with their modest achievements surpassing their initial one gold medal target with two gold, two silver and two bronze medals at the end of the four-day meet.

“Going into the tournament, we were banking on the girls’ Under-15 doubles defending champions Ashley Koh and Tan Qiao Er to deliver. Based on the team effort settling for third in the girls’ Under-15 team event from the previous outing, we knew the girls were good enough in putting up a fighting display to challenge for the top spot,” he added.

In action: Qiao Er came under praise from team manager Teoh.

And the SMK Seri Bintang Utara duo of Ashley and Qiao Er lived up to their top billing and secured a back-to-back victory in the girls’ Under-15 doubles as well as teaming up with Lim Yi Yin and rookie Ho Jia Ni for a victorious outing in the girls’ Under-15 team event.

Kuala Lumpur emerged as the group champions in the girls’ Under-15 team contest complementing their convincing 3-0 win over Pahang with a narrow 3-2 win against Kedah.

They overcame Perak 3-2 in the last eight and edged Sabah 3-1 to book their place in the final.

Hock Poh praised all three players — Qiao Er, Yi Yin and Ashley — under the care of coach Tan Cheng Keat for pulling their weight together and contributing a point each in their hard-earned 3-2 triumph over Penang in the championship tie.

“We fielded a balanced side and the girls were very well-prepared with their thorough build-up training regularly throughout the year.

“We were delighted that they came through with outstanding team spirit and produced a pleasant surprise,” he said.

In the girls’ Under-15 doubles, top seeds Ashley-Qiao Er survived a tough match bouncing back from two games down before they subdued Tang An Qi-Eng Yuh Jing from Penang 4-11, 10-12, 11-6, 11-4, 11-4 in the quarter-finals.

Girl power: Tan (centre) with the victorious line-up (from left) Yi Yin, Jia Ni, Qiao Er and Ashley who bagged the gold medal in the girls’ Under-15 team event at the 32nd Milo Malaysia Youth table tennis championships.

“We did not get off to a good start because we were very nervous. We were worried when we were trailing behind as our opponents shot ahead with an early two games lead but we regained our composure to get back on track to wrap up the match and progressed to the last four,” said Qiao Er, who also teamed up with An Qi and earned a bronze medal in the girls’ Under-15 doubles at the SEA Youth meet in Indonesia in early June.

Ashley-Qiao Er defeated Kedah’s Lim Yi Wen-Lau Xinyi 9-11, 11-8, 11-6, 14-12 in the semi-finals and continued their winning momentum chalking up 7-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-5 win over Amanda Wong-Tan Kai Chen from Selangor to emerge champions.

The Kuala Lumpur’s combination of Wong Chun Cheun-Goh Gee Seng and Foh Zheng Liu-Seow Chun How settled for second in the boys’ Under-15 and Under-18 doubles respectively.

In addition, the Kuala Lumpur boys’ Under-18 line-up of Zheng Liu, Chun Cheun, Chun How, Teh Yu Qi and Tan Zhao Dong contributed a bronze medal when they went down 2-3 to Selangor in the last four.

The city side’s top ranked boys’ Under-18 player Zheng Liu, who also picked up a bronze medal in the boys’ Under-18 singles contest, could not provide the winning point going down 7-11, 7-11, 3-11 to Selangor’s Mohamad Hashri Fikri Mohd Taupik in the decider of the semi-final tie.the Star online