KUALA LUMPUR – Since qualification for the Paris Olympics began last year, the prospect of Malaysia featuring in table tennis at the world’s biggest sporting event was rarely spoken of.
However, in the past four months, the national table tennis squad has shown remarkable performances, and the dream of Malaysia competing in Paris is not something to be underestimated as they approach the final Southeast Asian qualifying event, scheduled to take place in Bangkok, Thailand from May 6 to 8.
The glimmer of hope for qualification initially emerged when both the men’s and women’s national squads qualified on merit for the World Team Championships in Busan last February.
Their first attempt to book a spot in Paris was unsuccessful, but the national squad still had reason to be proud, especially the women’s squad, as they managed to advance from the group stage to qualify for the main draw, becoming one of the top 24 teams in the world.
Their subsequent effort in Havirov, the Czech Republic, also failed to secure a slot in the mixed doubles.
However, the pairing of Karen Lyne Dick and Choong Javen made an impressive run to the quarter-finals of knock out 3 before bowing out to the Romanian pair, Ovidiu Ionescu and Bernadette Szocs.
Now they will make their third attempt to secure a spot in the singles event. For the seasoned player, Ho Ying, this qualification slot seems relatively straightforward as it involves players from Southeast Asia, especially since two Thai players have already secured their spots for Paris.
Only one slot is allocated for both the men’s and women’s events, meaning they must clinch the championship title to compete in Paris.
“I’m aiming to show to everyone that we are capable of achieving it (qualification for the Olympics).
“I’ve been gearing up for this SEA qualification since early last month, even though, at that point, coach Beh Lee Wei hadn’t yet finalised the roster of four players for the Bangkok tournament.
“When I talk about comprehensive preparation, it involves studying the potential players who could be my opponents because I believe in avoiding last-minute rushes, especially given the abundance of talent in the Southeast Asian region.
“I’ve been analysing my opponents’ playing styles while undergoing incredibly rigorous training sessions. When the coach finalised the selection for the qualification tournament, and I made the cut, I intensified my training efforts even further.”
“My goal is only one, to fight as hard as possible to grab this singles slot for the Olympic Games,” said Ho Ying.
Ho Ying is not alone as she will be accompanied by Alice Chang Li Sian, while for the men’s event, hopes will be pinned on Javen and Wong Qi Shen.
For the record, Lau Wai Cheng and Leong Mee Wan were the last Malaysians to compete in table tennis at the Olympics when they qualified for the 1988 Seoul Games. – April 28, 2024