Betong paddlers switch power to max at state c’ships
KUCHING: Betong Division met expectations to capture the overall crown after bagging nine gold, eight silver and 16 bronze medals at the 61st LTS Sarawak Open Table Tennis Championship which ended at Extreme Professional Table Tennis Training Centre here yesterday.
They made a clean sweep of the Men’s Team and Women’s Team as well as the Men’s Veteran 45 Singles and Men’s Veteran 55 Singles titles and finished top in the Boys U18 Team, Boys U18 Singles, Boys U13 Singles and Non-Chinese Singles categories.
Betong were first runners-up in Girls U18 Team, Boys Hopes Team, Non-Chinese Men’s Team, Boys U10 Singles, Men’s Veteran 45 Singles, Men’s Veteran 55 Singles, Girls U18 Singles and Boys U15 Singles.
They finished joint third in the Girls Hopes team, Women’s Veteran Team, Boys U18 Singles, Girls U18 Singles, Boys U13 Singles, Girls U13 Singles, Girls U10 Singles, Men’s Veteran 45 Singles, Non-Chinese Singles and Women’s Doubles.
“In fact, we had surpassed our target of winning five titles this year but having won nine is really a big bonus for us and congratulations to all the players, coaches and team officials for the big success and improvement this year,” said team manager James Chen Chun Hong.
“I believe that the key factors that contributed to our success are strong teamwork, good preparations and training with good facilities at Extreme Professional Table Tennis Training Centre,” he added.
Chen, who was also tournament organising chairman and Betong DTTA chairman, thanked the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development (MYSED) and the Sarawak Sports Corporation for helping to run the competition smoothly.
MYSED deputy permanent secretary Dolhadi Marzuki, who represented Sarawak Sports Corporation CEO Awang Putrayusrie Awang Redzuan, closed the event and gave away the main prizes.
He also handed the championship flag to next year’s host Bintulu Division Table Tennis Association through its chairman Chieng Sing Hock.
Among those present were Table Tennis Association of Sarawak chairman Dato Wong Hii Toh and SSC/MSNS sports development officer Eqa Eqma Bujang Adris.