The coolest player in Rio de Janeiro, the temperature is rising in the South American city as summer begins; in the CEFAN Arena, the home for the Brazil Junior and Cadet Open, one young man strolled around the court seeming oblivious to the degrees recorded on the thermometer or the heat generated in the tension of competition.

Kwan Man Ho, winner of the Cadet Boys’ Singles title on the afternoon of Sunday 15^th September 2013, is one of the most laid back characters you could wish to meet; also to his credit he is one of the most polite, courteous and co-operative.

Perhaps the fact that he was determined to answers questions in English underlines that behind an amiable façade there is a steely determination to succeed.

Beat Top Seed
Occupying the second seeded position in the draw, he beat the host nation’s Gustavo Yokota, the top seed, in the final to repeat the success he had enjoyed earlier in the year at the El Salvador Junior and Cadet Open.

In San Salvador, the capital city of El Salvador, he overcame India’s Arjun Ghosh in the Cadet Boys’ Singles final in four games. He recovered from an opening games deficit to secure victory (8-11, 15-13, 11-8, 14-12).

Bad Start
A bad start in San Salvador, it was very much the same in Rio de Janeiro.

He lost the first six points of the first game against Gustavo Yokota before recovering to steal the opening duel and then win two of the next three games to gain victory.

In San Salvador he succeeded in the final in four games, in Rio de Janeiro, he did the same (12-10, 11-13, 11-4, 11-7).

Nervous
 “I was nervous”, smiled Kwan Man Ho. “I think that’s really why I lost those first six points; then I really started to focus.”

Simply trailing 6-0 in the first game, Kwan Man Ho just smiled, looked around the hall and then continued as though he did not have a care in the world; lose a point Kwan Man Ho smiles, win a point Kwan Man Ho smiles.

You have no idea whether he is winning, losing, playing in a final or eating his breakfast.

Furthermore, remember he was playing in Latin America, in South America to be precise and in that part of the world they go bonkers, they show their emotions.

Success for Gustavo Yokota was met with rapturous applause and cheering, Kwan Man Ho looked around and smiled.

“I don’t think about anything that is going on outside the playing area”, explained Kwan Man Ho. “I just try to focus on the match and what I have to do.”

He did just that; most certainly he did just that and duly emerged successful.

A very talented player, good hands as they say in the trade and in the counterpart Cadet Girls’ Singles final two players with good hands contested the final, both from Chinese Taipei.

Lee En-Chi, the no.1 seed, 14 years old, beat Chen Ting-Ting, 13 years old, to collect the top prize; she won in three straight games (11-6, 11-6, 11-4).

Article by: ITTF - Ian Marshall

Photo By: Manfred Schillings