Bronze medallists in the respective Boys’ and Girls’ Singles events at the ITTF Cadet Challenge in the Mangilao, the capital city of the Pacific island of Guam in November 2012, Hong Kong’s Hung Ka Tak and Thailand’s Tamolwan Khetkhuan stood proudly on the stop step of the medal podium, when matters concluded at the ITTF Junior Circuit tournament in New Caledonia in Noumea on Sunday 18^th August 2013,

At the Jemati New Caledonia Junior and Cadet Open, Hung Ka Tak won the Junior Boys’ Singles title; Tamolwan Khetkhuan claimed the counterpart Junior Girls’ Singles crown.

It was for both players, who are former members of the ITTF World Hopes Team (Tamolwan Khetkhuan in 2009, Hung Ka Tak in 2010), their first ever singles titles on the ITTF Junior Circuit.

Notably for Tamolwan Khetkhuan it was totally new territory, for Hung Ka Tak he had experienced one podium finish in the past.

In 2011 he reached the semi-finals of the Junior Boys’ Singles event at the South Africa Junior and Cadet Open in Cape Town.

Undoubtedly it was a fine performance in Cape Town, in Noumea it was an even more impressive effort.

Occupying the no.2 seeded position in the draw; in the later rounds he accounted for Singapore’s Tay Ming Han Maxxe in the quarter-finals (11-1, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5), before overcoming Frenchman, Romain Ruiz, the no.5 seed, in penultimate round (12-10, 10-12, 11-7, 11-5, 11-7) to book his place in the final.

The win over Romain Ruiz was noteworthy; at the quarter-final stage the 16 year old had beaten Chinese Taipei’s Yang Heng-Wei, the no.3 seed and a player who has enjoyed success on the ITTF Junior Circuit in 2013.

Earlier in the year he won the Junior Boys’ Singles title at the Egypt Junior and Cadet Open and prior to proceedings in Noumea stood in top spot on the Road to Nanjing Standings. Romain Ruiz won a titanic struggle succeeding in the deciding seventh game by the very narrowest of margins (11-6, 12-10, 3-11, 6-11, 11-3, 6-11, 12-10).

A place in the final booked, Hung Ka Tak maintained his form to beat Liao Cheng-Ting, the no.1 seed, also from Chinese Taipei, in six games to arrest the title (11-8, 5-11, 17-15, 5-11, 11-6, 13-11).

Once again it was runners up spot in a Junior Boys’ Singles event on the ITTF Junior Circuit for Liao Cheng-Ting; in late July he had been the silver medallist on home soil at the Chinese Taipei Junior and Cadet Open, on that occasion beaten in the final by colleague Wen Wei-Chieh.

In Noumea, he displayed fine form en route to the final; at the quarter-final stage he beat Korea’s Oh Wootaek (11-7, 11-2, 11-4, 11-4), before overcoming Thailand’s Padasak Tanviriyavechakul in the penultimate round (11-9, 11-9, 11-4, 15-13).

Defeat in the final of the Junior Boys’ Singles event for Liao Cheng-Ting but earlier in the day in the Junior Boys’ Doubles event it had been gold.

Partnering Yang Heng-Wei, the pair recovered from a two games to nil deficit to beat Hung Ka Tak and Padasak Tanviriyavechakul to arrest the title by the very narrowest of margins in the deciding sixth game (7-11, 3-11, 11-9, 11-8, 12-10).

Hard fought success for Hung Ka Tak in the Junior Boys’ Singles event, it was the same for Tamolwan Khetkhuan in the counterpart Junior Girls’ Singles competition, as she staved off a spirited challenge from Korea in the latter two rounds.

At the quarter-final stage she accounted for Malaurie Matthieu of France in five games (11-4, 11-4, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5), before overcoming Yoon Hyobin, the no.4 seed, in the semi-finals in a tense six games contest (16-14, 11-9, 10-12, 11-8, 8-11, 12-10) to reserve her place at the top table,

A close semi-final encounter, the final was somewhat more comfortable; she beat Kim Yedam, the no.5 seed, in four straight games (11-8, 11-8, 13-11, 11-6).

In the counterpart latter stage duels, Kim Yedam had beaten Canada’s Anqi Luo in five games (11-6, 11-2, 10-12, 11-8, 11-3), before overcoming Korean colleague, Choi Yelin in a close seven games semi-final duel (11-8, 8-11, 14-16, 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8).

Defeat for Kim Yedam in the final but as with Liao Cheng-Ting silver turned to doubles gold.

Joining forces with Yoon Hyobin, the duo overcame Tamolwan Khetkhuan and Anqi Luo in the Junior Girls’ Doubles final (11-5, 11-8, 15-17, 11-8) to reserve the top step of the medal podium.

Article by: ITTF - Ian Marshall

Photo By: Rémy Quinne