Ting (third right) presents the association flag to team manager Liew Jew Cheung while (from fourth right) Ho, Yii, Ngu, Lau and others display team spirit at the flag presentation ceremony.
KUCHING: The Samarahan Division Table Tennis Association are looking to improve on their past performance in the 58th Sarawak Table Tennis Championship to be hosted by Miri from Dec 10 to 24.
With 30 players including seven non-Chinese players carrying the challenge, Samarahan are targeting to three gold medals.
They won two gold medals to finish fourth overall in last year’s tournament held in Serian.
With the absence of last year’s runners-up Kuching this year, Samarahan have high hopes of making a top-three finish.
They will be banking on the “chopper” pair Brandon Tan Tze Yuan and Cody Ting Shi Hao who won the Boys U13 doubles title at the 31st Milo Hope Table Tennis Championship last Sunday.
Brandon and Cody were among the eight paddlers from Samarahan who were members of the Sarawak team in that national U13 and U10 championships held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
Meanwhile, Samarahan Division Table Tennis Association chairman Joseph Ting offered some practical advice to the players.
“You must be patient when playing against your opponents and do not be too anxious to beat them. Instead, you should keep your cool and display your best abilities,” he said during the flag presentation cum dinner at a local restaurant on Friday.
Also present were honorary president Datuk Yii Chi Hao, president Simon Ngu, deputy president Ho Chion Soo, vice president Lau Kah Moi and other committee members.
Yii is also the contingent leader with Ngu and Ho as his deputies while Yu Min Tao is the team coach.
Other members of the boys team are Brian Hon Wei Kiat, Chua Choon Beng, Darren Goh Shang Loong, Edwin Tan Poh Jun, Jenson Chai Zhi Yu, Kelvin Goh Cheng Long, Liew Chun Xian, Liew Han Ying, Nathan Lai Yi Yung, Nathan Lu Jun Xi, Wenceslaus Jong Fong Rui and the team’s youngest player eight-year old Liew Xuan Hao who is playing in his second state championship.
The girls team is made up of Foo Sze Hui, Angeline Tian Xuan, Audrey Hon Jing Wen, Candy Tan Poh Tze, Edda Bong Sze En, Enno Bong Sze Yuan, Liew Kai Ying, Tan Chung Jia and Tan Chung Yi.
Those competing in the non-Chinese categories are Dr Nor Aiman Sukindar, Awang Khairuddin Sulong Awang Sabli, Muhd Salman Naraeie, Slamat Fata, Sunizam Uton, Wan Hashim Wan Ibrahim and Zaidi Sahdin.