It has never happened before. No player has ever competed in the ITTF Junior Circuit Finals and in the ITTF World Cadet Challenge in the same calendar year.
However, when Hong Kong’s Hung Ka Tak enters the arena in Guam at this year’s ITTF World Cadet Challenge, to be staged in Mangilao from Saturday 27th October to Sunday 4th November 2012, he will become the first to achieve the feat.
Hung Ka Tak played in the ITTF Junior Circuit Finals earlier this year in January in Puerto Rico. In Guam he lines up alongside China’s Song Xu, Japan’s Kohei Sambe and Korea’s Cho Seungmin in the Asia Boys’ Team.
Inaugural Event
The inaugural ITTF Junior Circuit Finals were held in Stockholm in 2002 and were totally separate from the ITTF World Cadet Challenge.
In 2003 in the Hungarian town of Tiszaujvaros, the ITTF World Cadet Challenge was born; an autonomous event.
Staged Together
However, after the two initial competitions, the two events have always been held together, starting later in 2003 in the Malaysian city of Genting; since that date, no player has been allowed to compete in both events in the same edition.
Furthermore, neither the ITTF Junior Circuit Finals nor the ITTF World Cadet Challenge have ever been staged twice in the same year.
The Younger Brother
Qualification for the ITTF Junior Circuit Finals in Puerto Rico was gained following results in 2011 and somewhat strangely, Hung Ka Tak was only just 14 years old at the time; he celebrated his birthday on Thursday 12th January.
He was not selected for the Asia Boys’ Team in the ITTF Cadet Challenge; his brother, some two years older played in the ITTF Cadet Challenge.
Wrong Way Round?
It means that Hung Ka Tak will have played in the ITTF Junior Circuit Finals before he plays in the ITTF Cadet Challenge.
Isn’t that the wrong way round?
Is the Same Year?
Now I hear you cry, qualification for the ITTF Junior Circuit Final was by means of success in 2011.
It is the same year in calendar terms but is it the same year in sporting terms?
Guatemala Possible
Coached by former Hong Kong international Ko Lai Chak, the Men’s Doubles silver medallist with Li Ching at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and Jiang Xinpei; Hung Ka Tak practices 30 hours per week and that strenuous effort may well bear fruit for the forthcoming ITTF Junior Circuit Finals.
He may well qualify for the event to be staged in Guatemala from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th January 2013; the results gained in 2012 being the determining factor.
ITTF Junior Circuit Standings
Currently, Hung Ka Tak occupies to no.15 spot on the ITTF Junior Circuit Boys’ Standings; there are just two tournaments remaining on this year’s calendar which count for valuable points, the Hungarian Junior Open and the Bahrain Junior and Cadet Open.
The top 16 boys qualify with the proviso of a maximum of two from any one national association plus a representative from each continent and a player from the host association.
Occupies Qualification Position
Hung Ka Tak is the second listed player from Hong Kong behind Chui Chung-Hei who is currently in fifth place and under the eligibility rules, at the moment Hung Ka Tak is in effect in 10th place!
If the decision was to be made today, an invitation to Guatemala would be on its way.
Gold the Target
Guatemala is conjecture, Guam is fact and Hung Ka Tak is determined to repeat his success at the recent Scotiabank Canadian Junior and Cadet Open when he won the Cadet Boys’ Singles title.
“My target at the ITTF World Cadet Challenge is to be the champion in both the Boys’ Team and Boys’ Singles events”, said Hung Ka Tak.
Olympic Hopes
Success in Guam is the immediate goal but what of the long term objective?
“I believe that being an Olympic Champion is the greatest achievement”, he concluded emphatically.
In 2003 in Tiszaujvaros on the only other occasion that the ITTF Cadet Challenge has stood alone as an event in its own right; the competition was hard fought and the winner of the Boys’ Singles title?
A certain young man named Zhang Jike.
Article - By: Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
Photo - By: Donald Chin
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Hung Ka Tak in Puerto Rico and Guam |
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