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Mike Chan

Fresh from their historic result at the Asian Table Tennis Team Championships in India, the city’s head coach has sought to temper expectations for the National Games.
Hong Kong’s men claimed silver after losing 3-0 to China at the Kalinga Stadium, their best result ever in the regional tournament, while the women’s team ranked seventh.
Head coach Li Ching said his players should approach the Games with a “learning mentality”, with some technical gaps still existing between themselves and their mainland rivals, even if the younger players were closing in.
One example of that was Baldwin Chan Ho-wah’s 3-1 defeat to Wang Chuqin, where the Hongkonger’s total points won in the match were on a par with the world No 1.
Despite the impressive performance, Li considers mixed doubles pair Wong Chun-ting and Doo Hoi-kem the city’s only “medal hope”, but backed Su Tsz-tung to “cause some trouble in the women’s youth events”.

“Since I came in 2000, we always ranked third and there was no trophy, I am happy to finally bring one home,” Li said. “So, I think they have surpassed us as a generation. It’s a good thing that the new generation excels the previous one.”
Despite the promising results, Li urged his players to “learn as much as possible” at the Games next month.
In previous editions, the men’s best result was finishing fifth in the team event, with former Olympic silver medallists Ko Lai-chak and Li finishing fifth and sixth, respectively, in the singles.
“I hope our young players can learn something from the coming Games,” Li said. “There’s no better way to learn from your matches against top-tier opponents. As for our senior players, my expectations for them are to do what they can and do their best at the table.”
Playing in the mixed doubles, as well as the men’s singles and team event, Wong said he needed to “bring something different to the table” next month.
“I have been playing against the Chinese national team members for quite a long time,” the 34-year-old said. “My playing style and technique have probably been studied quite thoroughly, so hopefully I can do that.”
Women’s team coach Zhang Rui has a much more realistic target in mind, given the “competitiveness between the provinces and cities is no joke”.
“I hope our players can start the Games with a win in their events,” she said.
Before the Games, several members of the women’s team are heading to Europe for the WTT Star Contender event in London next week, with Doo then scheduled to play at the WTT Champions event in Montpellier the following week.
Li, meanwhile, said he may take the team to a training camp in Zhuhai towards the end of October to train with Guangdong, which boasts players such as Lin Gaoyuan and Zhou Qihao.
At the last Games in Shaanxi in 2021, Guangdong and Liaoning split the men’s and women’s team events. Fan Zhendong, representing Guangdong, won the men’s singles crown while the women’s title went to Heilongjiang native Wang Manyu.
The legendary Ma Long partnered Wang Chuqin to take the men’s doubles title while Wang Manyu triumphed in the women’s event with Che Xiaoxi. Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen won the mixed doubles title.
The National Games table tennis events run from November 7 to 20 at the Galaxy Arena in Macau.


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Head coach Li Ching injects dose of reality after men’s historic success at Asian Table Tennis Team Championships


Head coach Li Ching injects dose of reality after men’s historic success at Asian Table Tennis Team Championships.


Hong Kong table tennis coach tempers National Games expectations, eyes mixed doubles medal

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Head coach Li Ching injects dose of reality after men’s historic success at Asian Table Tennis Team Championships

Head coach Li Ching injects dose of reality after men’s historic success at Asian Table Tennis Team Championships