World Table Tennis Championships: newcomer Chan tipped to give Hong Kong spark
City less reliant on Doo Hoi-kem as team of 11 players head to Qatar for global tournament
Hong Kong will go into the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships starting in Qatar on Saturday boasting a broader range of options, with less reliance on Doo Hoi-kem and high hopes for youngster Baldwin Chan Ho-wah.
For the first time since her tournament debut in Paris in 2013, Doo will not have to play in all three categories and can focus on a slightly reduced workload of singles and mixed doubles.
Her mixed doubles partner Wong Chun-ting will have his third men’s doubles partner in Chan, and with the World Championships debutant shouldering two doubles events and the men’s singles in Doha, the 20-year-old was the name on many lips at the team’s unveiling on Tuesday.
“He’s a young player with potential,” the 33-year-old Wong said. “He’s fast, and as a left-hander, gives us some advantage in the doubles.
“I hope to give him some new perspectives [as a partner] to help him in singles, and I hope we can provide a new spark.”
Wong said the pair had a decent draw, with the first hurdle expected at the round of 16, when they potentially face Florian Bourrassaud and Esteban Dorr of France.