The Match up is with opponent South Korean, with their famed defensive paddlers.
This was much like the atmosphere 4 years ago, while i was watching the TV rooting for Li Jiawei who lost in her singles in her semi final. 4 years ago i watch with high hopes that she will win.
Why it matters is because this match is just the line between a confirmed medal for Singapore, or another fight for the 3rd placing, which equals to a bronze medal.
Amid the jovial cheers of the crowds, “Xin Jia Po Jia You!”, which i think means “Fight on, Singapore!”. The cheers is rampant throughout the 3 1/2 hr grueling matches.
The Singapore Team
Wang YueGu
Feng Tianwei
Li Jiawei
Oh, and the commentator on Channel 5 really suck balls, for being at a lost for words so many a time.
First Match: Feng Tianwei VS Dang Ye Seo
Feng Tianwei was the first up for Singapore and she won her match against Dang Ye Seo, 11-5, 11-5, 11-2, giving Singapore the lead.
She breezes through this match without a hitch, while Dang Ye Seo looks below par and not mentally prepared and was rather disturbed as she slides to a lose.
Second Match: Kim Kyung Ah VS Li Jiawei
Kim Kyung Ah beat Li Jiawei 3-2 in a five-set thriller, 5-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8.
This match was the best of the 5 that was played. Most of the best spins are saw here and we see Li Jiawei getting outwit at times by Kim Kyung Ah, who was playing a defensive game with some trick attacks. Li Jiawei who was looking really good in the first 2 sets, starts to lose ground and her expressions reminds me of her in Athens, when she was losing.
Third Match: Li Jiawei & Wang Yuegu VS Kim Kyung & Park Mi Young
The Singapore pair wrapped up this match efficiently with a 3-0 win over the S Korean pair, taking the match 11-7, 11-6, 11-9.
A doubles match that saw the Singapore pair outclass the Korean Pair with their really aggressive style. Played with 3 straight wins, it was an important match that kept Singapore in the hopes for a gold or silver medal.
Fourth Match: Wang Yuegu VS Dang Ye Seo
In the fourth match, Singapore’s Wang Yuegu lost 0-3 to S Korea’s Dang Ye Seo. She went down 11-8, 14-12, 11-9.
Before the match start, i thought Singapore has nailed it for sure, judging from Dang Ye Seo previous performance. But Dang Ye Seo took a 360 degree turn from her disappointing first match and this prove to be a shock for Wang Yuegu. Her change to a very aggressive style took Wang Yuegu by surprise when the Korean edges 7-0(right?) in the first set over her. She hit back after that, but that was not enough, and she lost to eventually in 3 very intense and close sets to the powerful Korean.
Last Match: Feng Tianwei VS Park Mi Young
In the rubber, Singapore’s Feng Tianwei beat S Korea’s Park Mi Young 3-1, taking the match 11-7, 12-10, 3-11, 11-9.
During the fourth match, we saw Feng cutting and preparing her paddle for the inevitable 5th set. Feng was on a really good form today, and i think she played the best among the Singaporean paddlers. And the match went overtime(after a 8-7 score with Feng leading), which was really crucial, but she did it. Her aggressive smashes made the Korean looks weak, though it killed off her too when a few of her confirmed points was wasted when she smashed wrongly. This match also see a heightened emotion among the Korean and Singaporean teams on the bench where Wang Yuegu and Kim Kyung both were sent off the bench with red cards for shouting advices.
The South Korea Team
Park Mi Young
Kim Kyung Ah (Right) and Park Mi Yuong
Dang Ye Seo
Pretty cute ladies(Dang Ye Seo and Park Mi Young) in the South Korean team huh? Kim Kyung Ah isn’t cute, but is really strong in table tennis with her unique defensive technique.
Aftermath
This match makes most Singaporean happy, happy that we have finally end the medal drought at a few Olympics despite the money and effort that went into programmes to produce talented athletes. While we came close at Athens 4 years ago, it just wasn’t enough, and we were left disappointed.
While there will be further criticism that i expect soon to be coming, that focuses on the fact that these paddlers are chinese foreign talents and does not have true Singaporean roots, however, i believe that whoever is wearing and keeping the Singapore Flag flying in Beijing Olympics 2008, is representing us in the Olympics.
And so, i am relieved that we have finally got a medal in place, and another one after 48 years. My hopes from Athens has also been fulfilled.
The paddlers and team will be happy too, for they have at least S$750,000 as award, and potentially S$1.5million for a gold medal if they win it. Coupled with the pride they they get and appreciations from most Singaporeans, I think they have reached a fulfilling point in their career as a athlete.
[reference from AsiaOne]
The article from AsiaOne was actually live updated and it’s title was changed too.
3 Comments
Ping pong is by far the most entertaining sport to watch…if you can see the ball! Those guys (and gals) are so good it is mind blowing.
“And so, i am relieved that we have finally got a medal in place, and one of a better color than our previous weight lifting bronze.”
Excuse me, but it would be nice to get the facts right. Tan Howe Liang won silver in Rome 1960. Not a bronze. The silver which the team is likely to be getting is not a “better colour”.
Unless of course an earth-shattering upset takes place, which seems rather unlikely, given the fact that the Singapore coach himself said he hasn’t studied the Chinese team as they are so strong.
Oops, just read about it in newspaper too that he indeed got a silver.
Point noted.
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[...] us. I used “rather” because i felt that the most important match has already gone past, which was the semi-final match against South Korea. Which we emerged the victor. For an extra bit of news, across the Causeway, we see Malaysia who [...]