Lam Yee Lok emerged as Hong Kong’s most successful player on the second day of proceedings, Sunday 5^th May 2013, at the Thailand Junior and Cadet Open in Bangkok. Alongside Japan’s Hitomi Sato and Yukiho Tamaishi, she captured the Junior Girls’ Team title.

Junior Girls’ Team Event

The trio overcame Thailand ‘B’ (Chanoknan Duangsedwong, Laksika Thongsub, Kornchanok Sukhom) by three matches to nil in the semi-finals, before posting a three-one final success over Thailand ‘A’ (Tamolwan Khethuen, Orawan Paranang, Apichaya Sritavarit) in the final.

Hitomi Sato gave the champions elect the perfect start by beating Orawan Paranang (11-2, 11-1, 11-4), before Thailand levelled matters thanks to the efforts of Tamolwan Khethuan.  She overcame Lam Yee Lok in three straight games (11-8, 15-13, 11-5).

However, that was the only success for the host nation. Yukiho Tamaisi accounted for Apichaya Sritavarit (11-5, 11-7, 11-8), before Lam Yee Lok returned to the table to end matters by accounting for Orawan Paranang (6-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-4, 11-5).

Junior Boys’ Team Event

Gold for Hong Kong in the Junior Girls’ Team event but it was not to be in the Junior Boys’ Team competition, where a three-nil semi-final defeat was the result against an in-form Chinese Taipei Team. 

Wang Tai-Wei overcame Li Hon Ming (11-13, 11-8, 11-7, 2-11, 11-7), Wen Wei-Chieh accounted for Hung Ka Tak (11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8), with Yu Cheng-Feng bringing matters to a conclusion. He beat Lam Sui Hang (11-4, 11-5, 7-11, 11-8).

It was an impressive effort by Chinese Taipei who progressed to capture the title recording a three-one win over Korea (Yu Seongmun, Kim Moogang, Oh Wootaek), a team against whom they had suffered a three-two defeat on the opening day in the group stage.

Cadet Boys’ Team Event

Bronze in the Junior Girls’ Team competition; in the Cadet Boys’ Team event it was silver; in the Cadet Girls’ Team event, silver and bronze.

In the Cadet Boys’ Team it was agonising defeat for Hong Kong on two occasions against Qatar ‘A’, the eventual winners.

Hong Kong ‘B’ (Wong Ho Hin, Leung Ho Ching Hocking) suffered a three-two quarter-final defeat against the eventual champions Abdulrahman Al-Naggar and Jassim Al-Sanadi; whilst in the final, it was the same.

Against Hong Kong ‘B’, Abdulrahman Al-Naggar accounted for Wong Ho Hin (10-12, 5-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-4) and in the crucial concluding match of the contest, Leung Ho Ching Hocking (11-9, 9-11, 11-4, 11-6).

The one further win for Qatar ‘A’ came from Jassim Al-Sanadi, he overcame Wong Ho Hin in the fourth match of the fixture (11-6, 13-11, 12-10) to level proceedings after Hong Kong ‘B’ had taken a two-one lead.

In the second match of the fixture Leung Ho Ching Hocking had accounted for Jassim Al-Sanadi (14-12, 9-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8), before partnering Wong Ho Hin in the doubles to victory over  Abdulraham Al-Naggar and Jassim Al-Sanadi (11-4, 11-9, 11-8).

In the quarter-final it was a doubles defeat for Qatar ‘A’; in the final it was a doubles victory, a win that was to prove crucial against Hong Kong ‘A’, the second seeds.

Kwan Man Ho beat both Jassim Al-Sanadi (11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8) and Abdulrahman Al-Naggar (7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 12-10) but that was the only Hong Kong success.

Chu Hoi Man was beaten by Abdulrahman Al-Naggar (11-9, 11-7, 11-5) and by Jassim Al-Sanadi (11-4, 11-7, 10-12, 11-8) in the concluding contest with the doubles going the way of the Qatari duo against Kwan Man Ho and Chu Hoi Man (11-8, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8).

Similarly, the path to the final for Hong Kong ‘A’ was testing.

Kwan Man Ho and Chu Hoi Man recorded a comfortable three-nil win over the Indonesian pairing of Bagus Saputra and Rafi Ramadhan but it was different story in the semi-finals.

A three-two win over Singapore ‘B’, the no.3 seeds, was the end result.

Once again, as in the final the man in form was Kwan Man Ho.

He accounted for both Tay Ming Han Maxxe (12-10, 7-11, 11-3, 11-6) and Loy Meng Hean (11-4, 12-10, 11-8).

The one further success for Hong Kong ‘A’ came in the concluding match of the fixture with Chu Hoi Man defeating Tay Ming Han Maxxe (11-8, 12-10, 12-10); the wins for Singapore ‘B’ came from Loy Meng Hean over Chu Hoi Man in the opening match in the fixture (11-5, 11-9, 8-11, 13-11) and in the doubles where Loy Meng Hean and Tay Ming Han Maxxe overcame Kwan Man Ho and Ma Tsz Shun (8-11, 11-3, 11-7, 7-11, 11-9).

Cadet Girls’ Team Event

Korea with Kang Haeun and Yoon Hyobin on duty caused Hong Kong heartaches  in the Cadet Girls’ Team event but one Hong Kong player could certainly take a bow.

A three-two win was the end result for Korea in their semi-final duel against Hong Kong ‘B’ with Mak Tze Wing the player to cause the eventual champions problems. She beat Kang Haeun (12-10, 11-9, 11-4) and Yoon Hyobin (11-8, 7-11, 13-11, 11-5).

Two wins for Mak Tze Wing but it was two defeats for Wong Wing Tung; she suffered against Yoon Hyobin (11-6, 11-9, 11-5) and in opposition to Kang Haeun in the last match of the fixture (6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-4).

The one further win for the Koreans came in the doubles with Kang Haeun and Yoon Hyobin combining to beat Mak Tze Wing and Wong Wing Tung in four games (8-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8).

Success over Hong Kong ‘B’ the top seeds in the semi-final, in the final it was victory against Hong Kong ‘A’.

In a contest that saw all three wins for Hong Kong secured in full distance five games duels, it was Yoon Hyobin who proved the mainstay of the Korean win.

She overcame Vanness Leung Tsz Ching (12-10, 5-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-5) and Liu Qi (11-6, 5-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7), with the one further success for Korea coming in the doubles with Kang Haeun and Yoon Hyobin overcoming Vanness Leung Tsz Ching and Liu Qi by the very narrowest of margins in what no doubt proved the pivotal contest (11-9, 5-11, 9-11, 16-14, 12-10).

The one win for Hong Kong ‘A’ came in the first match of the fixture; Liu Qi overcame Kang Haeun in three straight games (11-5, 11-9, 11-7).

A bye in the quarter-finals, Vanness Leung Tsz Ching and Liu Qi had beaten Indonesia’s Titin Aida and Desi Ranadanti by three matches to nil in their semi-final encounter.

Article By: ITTF - Ian Marshall