SINGAPORE — It was a historic win for the Singapore desk tennis group as an all local-born squad gained the gold medal, seeing off the problem from arch-rivals Malaysia 3-0 within the males’s group occasion on the Morodok Techo Desk Tennis Corridor. They final gained the medal when Singapore hosted the SEA Video games in 2015. The next SEA Video games in 2017, Singapore gained silver, and there was no group occasion in 2019. Within the earlier SEA Video games held final 12 months in Vietnam, Singapore settled for joint bronze with Vietnam.
It introduced desk tennis success up to now as Singapore, with a mixture of China-born gamers and native gamers, gained seven males’s group gold medals between 1999 and 2015. Singapore gained the medals in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013, and 2015.
Thought to be one in every of Singapore’s greatest paddlers of his time, naturalised participant Gao Ning gained three gold medals within the males’s group occasion. He final performed within the 2017 SEA Video games, and he gained two gold medals (males’s singles, males’s doubles) and a silver medal within the males’s group occasion. Throughout his time there have been loads of different China-born gamers that switched allegiance to Singapore and gained medals for the nation. One positively can’t neglect Feng Tianwei, Yu Meng Yu and plenty of others. Though Gao Ning has since retired, he’s presently the Singapore nationwide males’s group coach.
On the present SEA Video games, our Singapore desk tennis gamers that introduced residence glory consisted of Clarence Chew, Koen Pang, Izaac Quek, Beh Kun Ting and Ethan Poh. A few of these gamers corresponding to Chew and Poh had been in the identical group as their coach Gao Ning that gained the silver medal within the males’s group occasion within the 2017 SEA Video games.
Singapore had an ideal begin to the competitors in Group B in opposition to Malaysia, Philippines and Laos. Though it wasn’t all a simple match in opposition to their opponents particularly the Philippines and Malaysia, the Singapore paddlers managed to win all their spherical robin matches with a 3-0 win.
Within the semi-finals, Singapore had been up in opposition to the defending champions Thailand. Chew was up first in opposition to Padasak Tanviriyavechakul. Chew misplaced his first recreation however did properly to recuperate and went on to win the subsequent three video games (8-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-4). Pang was up subsequent in opposition to Sarayut Tancharoen, and though it proved to be a nerve-wrecking encounter the Singapore paddler managed to seal a 3-0 win (12-10, 11-9, 11-9). Pang didn’t need to play his match as he was awarded a walkover win as Thailand’s Phakpoom Sanguansin had an allergy.
The gold medal match noticed Singapore battling it out in opposition to Malaysia. It was not precisely a simple match because the silver medalist within the earlier SEA Video games went all out in pursuit of high honours too. However Chew set the tempo within the first match profitable the subsequent three video games in opposition to Leong Chee Feng after dropping the primary recreation (8-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-6). Within the second match, Pang additionally misplaced his first recreation however took the ultimate three video games (11-4, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8).
Match three was probably the most exhilarating because it went into 5 video games. Singapore’s Quek gained recreation one 11-9 however Javen Choon got here again sturdy within the subsequent two video games, profitable 14-12, 13-11. With the steerage of his coach Gao Ning on the sideline, Quek then upped his recreation and went on to win the essential subsequent two video games 11-9, 11-7 to reclaim the gold medal for Singapore.
Finals: Malaysia vs Singapore
Match 1: Leong Chee Feng vs Clarence Chew – 11-8, 4-11, September 11, 6-11
Match 2: Wong Qi Shen vs Koen Pang Yew En – 4-11, 11-9, 5-11, 8-11
Match 3: Javen Choong vs Izaac Quek Yong – September 11, 14-12, 13-11, September 11, 7-11
Semi-Finals: Thailand vs Singapore
Match 1: Padasak Tanviriyavechakul vs Clarence Chew – 11-8, 4-11, 5-11, 4-11
Match 2: Sarayut Tancharoen vs Koen Pang Yew En – 10-12, September 11, September 11, 9,11
Match 3: phakpoom sanguansin vs Izaac Quek Yong – WO
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