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Victory at the 2013 Egypt Junior and Cadet Open in Ismailia in June, set Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem on the road to gaining an invitation to the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games; now some 14 months later it is journey’s end.
Proceedings at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games commence in the Wutaishan Gymnasium on Sunday 17th August.
Article by: Ian Marshall
Photo by: Rémy Gros
The 2013 Egypt Junior and Cadet Open was the first tournament in the Road to Najing Series where each continent hosted an ITTF Junior Circuit event, from which players strove to reserve a place in the World Qualification Tournament in Vilanova de Gaia in January 2014
Doo Hoi Kem duly qualified and she made the best possible start to the year; she remained unbeaten throughout the whole of her stay in the west coast Portuguese City.
Not only did she reserve her invitation for Nanjing; in addition she won the Girls’ Singles title at the immediately ensuing ITTF Junior Circuit Finals.
At the World Qualification tournament she finished in first place in her group ahead of Canada’s Anqi Luo, the Czech Republic’s Krystina Stefcova and Australia’s Sarah Tan; before overcoming Thailand’s Tamolwan Khetkhuan in the main draw to reserve her Nanjing place.
Similarly, in the ITTF Junior Circuit Finals, it was a series of impressive performances. She secured first place in her group ahead of Chinese Taipei’s Chiu Ssu-Hua, Charlotte Carey of Wales and Egypt’s Yousra Helmy.
A second stage place secured, Doo Hoi Kem duly accounted for Japan’s Ayane Morita prior to beating Tamolwan Khetkhuan for a second time during the visit, to reserve her place in the final. Good form throughout, the form was maintained in the final, she overcame Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-Wen to arrest the title.
It was fine performance in Portugal but arguably the best performance so far in 2014 came one month later for the young lady who has occupied top spot on the Under 18 Girls’ World Rankings throughout the year.
In Doha, at the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour Qatar Open, a Super Series tournament, she reached the semi-final stage of the Women’s Singles event, eventually losing to Austria’s Liu Jia, having at one stage held a three games to nil lead.
Notably she left in her wake Poland’s Natalia Partyka, Korea’s Jeon Jihee, Portugal’s Yu Fu and Li Xue of France.
It was a most creditable performance from a young lady who enjoyed a smooth passage to Nanjing; for her male colleague, the player whom she will join forces in the Team event, the journey to China was anything but smooth.
Similar to Doo Hoi Kem; Hung Ka Tak won a 2013 Road to Nanjing Series ITTF Junior Circuit tournament. He succeeded at the Oceania version in New Calendonia.
A place in Vilanova de Gaia for the World Qualification tournament was duly reserved but it was in Portugal that the road became rocky.
He beat Singapore’s Yin Jing Yuan and Martin Khatchanov of the Netherlands in his first phase matches but suffered defeat at the hands of Czech Republic’s David Reitspies.
The outcome was that he finished in second place in the group and thus advanced to the main draw. However, it was at that stage, matters came to a most abrupt conclusion. He was beaten by Germany’s Kilian Ort.
Meanwhile, similar to Doo Hoi Kem he competed in the ITTF Junior Circuit Finals and fared somewhat better; he reached the semi-final stage of the Boys’ Singles event, losing to Brazil’s Hugo Calderano.
No invitation card in Portugal for Hung Ka Tak; his next effort was in Metz in early March at the Road to Nanjing Series – Europe tournament where he beat Vadin Yarashenka of Belarus and Romania’s Alexandru Manhole to top his group, before in the main draw losing to Sweden’s Carl Ahlander-Johansson.
Had the chance gone? The next opportunity from Hong Kong was afforded Lam Siu Hang but like Hung Ka Tak, it was qualification for the second phase and then defeat.
At the Road to Nanjing Series – Asia tournament staged in late March in Goa, India; Lam Siu Hang remained unbeaten in his first phase matches to top his group. He finished ahead of India’s Abhishek Yadav and Sri Lanka’s Imesh Ranasingha; a place in the main draw booked, he beat Iran’s Soroosh Amiri Nia before losing the Kazakhstan’s Kirill Gerassimenko.
It was to prove the one and only chance for Lam Siu Hang; the nomination from Hong Kong for the Asian Qualification tournament in early April in Bangkok was once again Hung Ka Tak.
Two disappointments, at the third attempt it was success.
He remained unbeaten throughout; he finished in first position in his group ahead of Malays’a Leong Chhe Feng, Iran’s Hamad Basht Bavi, Uzbekistan’s Gennadiy Levchenko and Ryan Jacoto of the Philippines. A place in the main draw secured, Hung Ka Tak accounted for Lebanon’s Mohamad Hamie and Qatar Abdulrahman Al-Naggar to secure his place in the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games.
In Nanjing, in the Girls’ Singles event Doo Hoi Kem is the top seed, Hung Ka Tak is the no.10 seed in the Boys’ Singles competition. They are the third seeds in the Team competition.
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