Young paddler eyeing world-class competition
After a successful national junior campaign, paddler Karen Lyne Dick will head to India for Youth Olympic Games
SIBU: Coming hot on the heels of a highly successful national junior campaign, paddler Karen Lyne Dick will now head to India for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) from Nov 3 to 5.
The national back-up player won three gold medals in the Cadet Singles, Doubles (with Sammi Tay) and Team at the just concluded 37th National Junior & Cadet Table Tennis Championships held in Perak.
With national Under-18 players due to sit for the SPM examinations, the Table Tennis Association of Malaysia (TTAM) have decided to give the YOG slot to the 15-year-old from Sibu.
The student at Bukit Jalil Sports School is eager to give it a go.
Her mother Sheena Wong, when contacted, said Karen is raring to venture into worldclass competition after having represented the nation at the Asean Schools Games and SEA Junior & Cadet Championships earlier this year.
“She told me she is looking forward to the trip and, hopefully, gain some valuable knowledge and lessons from the tournament,” Wong added.
Karen, whose potential was spotted by Sibu Table Tennis Association (STTA) when she was eight, was roped in by TTAM for the national back-up squad two years ago. She has also been nominated by TTAM to attend the 2017 Rough Diamonds Training Camp under the auspices of International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) to be held in Luxembourg from Dec 10-19.
The camp, which is meant for the 13-15 age group, will gather 14 boys and 14 girls from around the world for quality coaching and training.
She told me she is looking forward to the trip and, hopefully, gain some valuable knowledge and lessons from the tournament. — Sheena Wong, Karen’s mother