Lee Wei aims high for national paddlers
KUALA LUMPUR: National table tennis head coach, Beh Lee Wei is hoping that both the men’s and women’s teams will do well in the 2018 World Table Tennis Team Championships to be held from April 29-May 6 in Halmstad, Sweden.
“Both teams will play in the third division in the championships as we are not playing regularly in the pro tour competitions but I hope we can secured better results to ensure we will be promoted to the second division for the next world championships.
“I also hope that the Olympic Council of Malaysia and the National Sports Council will continue giving support to the current players to play in more international competitions in the future to gain more experience when taking part in the major tournaments like the world championships,” she said.
For national young women’s paddler, Karen Lyne, she hopes to gain more experience while facing the top ranked players in the world championships despite making her debut in the tournament.
“This is my first participation in the world championships and I would certainly give the best despite my chance to pull off a surprise may be limited since the world’s best players would also taking part in the tournament,” said the 16-year-old who clinched the bronze medal with another national player, Ho Ying, at the recent 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
The National men’s squad have been drawn in Group L with Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Macau, Finland and Israel while the women’s squad will face five teams in Group I - Azerbaijan, Finland, Mongolia, Pakistan and Morocco in the World Championships.
Other than Ho Ying and Karen Lyne, other national women’s paddlers who have been selected to the world championships are Alice Chang Li Sian and Kuan E Xian while the men’s squad will be represented by Muhd Ashraf Haiqal Rizal, Leong Chee Feng, Choong Javen and Chin Wen Jie.
Lee Wei and Karen were met at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games incentives reward luncheon organised by the Table Tennis Association of Malaysia.
During the event, Karen Lyne and Ho Ying received RM10,000 each while Beh and her younger sister, Beh Lee Fong who is also the national coach, received RM5,000 from TTAM following a surprise bronze medal feat at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. – Bernama