A Boon to her team

the age of 19, Bahau-born Boon Yu Jing can be considered a veteran in table tennis tournaments.

The talented paddler took part in her first competition when she was only seven years old, as a Standard One pupil representing her school, SJKC Kampung Baru Mahsan in the inter-school district tournament, where she emerged runner-up in the singles and doubles events, and won the team title.

Yu Jing went on to represent her district, Bahau, in the Negri Sembilan-level inter-school competition the same year.

“I took up table tennis due to my parents’ encouragement. I was also influenced by my elder brother who nagged me into joining his ping pong club,” said Yu Jing, who is coached by her father.

As for Yu Jing’s doubles partner, Lau Lit Yin, her table tennis prowess saw her representing her secondary school, SMJK Bahau (2), in the 2014 and 2015 national-level inter-school tournament, where she bagged the bronze in the girls’ doubles Under-15 event and third in the girls’ singles Under-18 event respectively.

From 2007 to 2015, she was the undisputed girls’ singles champion at the Negri Sembilan level inter-school competitions.

At the 2016 national youth championships, Yu Jing steered Negri Sembilan to third placing.

Her feats did not end after she enrolled for a diploma in business information technology course in Nilai University in 2016.

Yu Jing represented her university in the inter-varsity table tennis tournaments where she partnered Lau Lit Yin to the girls’ doubles silver in 2016, and the gold a year later.

Both Yu Jing and Lit Yin were also part of the Nilai University table tennis squad that won the team event in the Private Institutions of Higher Learning Sports Council, Southern Zone, last year.