Hong Kong’s Li Ching Wan is the notable name in the final confirmations for the ITTF World Junior Circuit Finals, which start in Guatemala City, the capital of the Central American country of Guatemala, on Friday 25th January 2013.

She is one of three recent additions for the Girls’ event; the others being Charlotte Carey of Wales and Chinese Taipei’s Chen Yen-Hsin.

Meanwhile, for the boys there is one change. Aly Ghallab, 15 years old, replaces Egyptian colleague Omar Bedair.

All four gave impressive performances on the ITTF Junior Circuit in 2012 with pride of place going to Li Ching Wan. She is one of two players from Hong Kong in the Girls’ Singles event in Guatemala City, the other is Lam Yee Lok.

Czech Junior and Cadet Open
It was at the Czech Junior and Cadet Open in February that Li Ching Wan excelled.

She reached the final of the Junior Girls’ Singles event, recording a series of impressive wins en route. Notably she accounted for Thailand’s Tamolwan Khetkuen, Germany’s Nina Mittelham, Romania’s Bernadette Balint and Serbia’s Aliz Durcik before eventually being beaten by Singapore’s Zhou Yihan.

The Singaporean, like Li Ching Wan, is on duty in Guatemala.

Impressive in Tunisia
Meanwhile Chen Yen-Sin and Aly Ghallab, both gave fine performances at the Tunisian Junior and Cadet Open in Hammamet in October.

Chen Yen-Sin reached the semi-final stage of the Junior Girls’ Singles event where Laura Pfeffer of France, the champion elect, ended progress; whilst Aly Ghallab secured a quarter-final spot in the Junior Boys’ Singles competition eventually losing to João Geraldo.

Good Performance in Algeria
A quarter-final place in Tunisia and earlier in the year in April, he had reached the same round in Algeria where progress was halted by Spain’s Xavier Peral.

The Spaniard progressed to the final eventually losing to Omar Bedair, the player Aly Ghallab replaces in Guatemala as the African representative.

Scotiabank Canadian Junior and Cadet Open
A semi-final place for Chen Yen-Sin in Tunisia, it was the same for Charlotte Carey at the Scotiabank Canadian Junior and Cadet Open in the same month, October.

After accounting for Peru’s Francesca Vargas, who is in action in Guatemala, she was beaten by the eventual champion, Lam Yee Lok; the player with whom earlier in proceedings she had struck gold in the Junior Girls’ Team event.

Conclusion
The tournament concludes on Sunday 27^th January 2013.

Download Confirmed Entry - Wednesday 23rd January 2013
ITTF Junior Circuit Finals 2012 (staged in 2013): List of Players by National Association
ITTF Junior Circuit Finals 2012 (staged in 2013): List of Players by Seeding

Article by: ITTF - Ian Marshall
Photo by: Frantisek Zalewsky