It’s all in the mind. What is the most important factor in the final in an Olympic Games?

It was a question posed to Jan-Ove Waldner and Deng Yaping prior to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games; the answer from the legendary Swede was immediate and from one of China’s all-time greats, the response was rapidly endorsed.

The unanimous verdict, from the two of the most outstanding players to adorn the sporting arenas of the world, was that they key to victory on the biggest stage of all was that it was in the mind.

You must be mentally strong and you must believe; from the two stars Hong Kong’s Lam Siu Hang can learn.

Gave Ray of Hope
On duty in the Boys’ Singles event at the 2014 ITTF Junior Circuit Finals in Vila Nova de Gaia, he made a fine start to his campaign by beating Egypt’s Shady Magdy in five games (13-11, 11-9, 11-8, 10-12,11-9).

Mr Nice Guy won the first three games and then in the fourth led 10-8 before losing the next four points to give his adversary a ray of hope; then in the fifth game he trailed 8-9 the stage at which Shady Magdy called “Time Out”. The break worked but it worked for Hong Kong; Lam Siu Hang won the next three points and it was mission accomplished.

It was a win as seeding expected, Lam Siu Hang is the no.8 seed, Shady Magdy is the no.15 seed.

Nervous at Start
“I was nervous in the first game, I played slowly, a lot of top spin”, said Lam Siu Hang. “In the fourth game I played too fast at the end and lost but then in the fifth game at the “Time Out” my coach, Zhao Peng, told me to play slower, more spin.”

The advice of the coach proved most wise; Lam Siu Hang is a most stylish player, he has the ability to change the degrees of spin on the ball when attacking; he is not one dimensional.

Never a Finalist
On the ITTF Junior Circuit in 2013 he reached two Boys’ Singles semi-finals and four quarter-finals; very consistent but he has yet to reach a final. Compare that record with the player he beat in his opening match in Vila Nova de Gaia; in 2013 Shady Magdy won in Tunisia and in Iraq.

“When I get to a quarter-final or a semi-final I keep thinking I’m going to lose”, admitted Lam Siu Hang. “In Thailand I was ahead against a Korean three-one and lost.”
He was beaten at the semi-final stage of the Boys’ Singles event by Kim Moogang (11-3, 5-11, 7-11, 9-11,11-3, 13-11, 11-9); it was a narrow defeat but as Lam Siu Hang related the story he smiled.

Prepare for Battle
No question, Lam Siu Hang is a most charming, polite and courteous young man; he has the ability to succeed, of that fact I have no doubt.

Now can the fluent skills become dynamic skills, can the silver medallist become the gold medallist; can Prince Charming turn into the evil demon?

In the words of William Shakespeare in Henry V before the Battle of Agincourt: “Lam Siu Hang Disguise Fair Nature with Hard Favoured Rage!”

More Hong Kong Success
Success for Hong Kong and there was more success for the Special Administrative Region of China; Hung Ka Tak overcame Sweden’s Elias Ranefur (11-8, 7-11, 9-11, 14-12, 11-5, 11-8)..

Wins for Top Four
Likewise, there was success for the top four seeds.

Brazil’s Hugo Calderano, the no.1 seed, accounted for Portugal’s Diogo Chen (11-6, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8); Chinese Taipei’s Liao Cheng-Ting, the no.2 seed, defeated Hugo Calderano’s colleague, Vitor Ishiy (11-1, 10-12, 11-3, 11-2, 11-7); whilst Korea’s Kim Minhyeok, the no.3 seed, overcame Argentina’s Fermin Tenti (11-4, 11-3, 5-11, 11-4, 11-6) and Yang Heng-Wei, the no.4 seed and also from Chinese Taipei, defeated Thailand’s Padasak Tanviriyavechakul (2-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7,15-13).

Please visit ITTF's Event Website for more information.

Article by: ITTF - Ian Marshall
Photo by: Rita Taborda