The Singaporean duo are currently ranked 28th in the world. In the men's doubles final, Koen Pang and Izaac Quek won the gold medal after defeating Malaysia's Javen Choong and Wong Qi Shen 3-1 (11-3, 8-11, 11-8, 11-4).
Two Singaporean tennis players celebrate after winning gold medals
Before coming to the 32nd SEA Games, the organizing committee had stipulated that except for the team event, each player could only choose 2 more events in singles, doubles and mixed doubles to compete. Therefore, the coaching staff of Singapore table tennis was forced to change the plan and the players from the "Lion Island" encountered many obstacles at the tournament in Cambodia.
After a tense and dramatic match against Malaysian players, the pair Koen Pang and Izaac Quek could not hide their joy. Koen Pang even threw his racket after the team had the deciding point.
After the match, he shared emotionally: “We were well prepared and felt very confident throughout the match. Although we lost the second game and were behind in the third game, we remained calm and won, a very important game. It is great to win the men's team championship and now the men's doubles gold medal.”
Meanwhile, Izaac Quek also proudly said: “I feel sad for my teammates who lost the final match by a close margin, but I have no pressure to win. I have focused on my warm-up, my routine and preparing well for the final. My first SEA Games doubles win will motivate me in the men's singles and I will continue to compete with nothing to lose.”
Izaac Quek added that before he and his teammate Koen Pang entered the final, a gloomy atmosphere had enveloped the members of the Singapore table tennis team when the duo Zhe Yu Chew and Jian Zeng lost to Vietnamese players Tran Mai Ngoc and Dinh Anh Hoang in the mixed doubles final with a score of 1-3. The Singaporean pair led 10-3 in the first set, had the advantage in the second set and could have leveled the score at 2-2 in the fourth set, but wasting their chances cost them their defeat. Not stopping there, in the women's doubles match, although the two players Zhou Jingyi and Wong were rated lower than the Thai pair Suthasini Sawettabut and Orawan Paranang, the quick 0-3 defeat only added to the disappointment.
Vietnam's mixed doubles gold medal after 26 years of waiting surprised Singaporean coaches
After two defeats, especially against Vietnamese players, Singapore women's table tennis team coach Jing Junhong expressed his disappointment: "For the mixed doubles event, we were too conservative. Losing the first game in such a way was a heavy blow. Zeng Jian's poor form and some mistakes also made Clarence nervous. Such things happen. I just hope they can learn from this experience and improve their ability to withstand pressure in the future."
As for the head coach of the Singapore men's table tennis team, Gao Ning, he was truly relieved after winning the men's doubles gold medal. Mr. Gao Ning was optimistic: "Everything has improved, the team's spirit and confidence have also improved. Koen and Izaac are working well together and have done very well. We will continue to prioritize their development and help them reach their full potential."
Source link
Comment (0)