Now, they are being groomed for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) next year.

And if all goes well, eight young paddlers may represent Singapore at the Olympics in 2016.

Singapore Table Tennis Association president Lee Bee Wah on Sunday announced that 'four boys and four girls - all Singaporeans' have been shortlisted for the YOG.

'I told our players, 'If you continue to show the same commitment, the same determination - and we need the support of your parents - I hope to field our own local players in 2016.'

'That is the objective - aim for the 2016 Olympics.'

Ms Lee, an MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, was responding to a question from a resident at a dialogue in her constituency of Nee Soon South on whether local table-tennis players are being groomed.

'Definitely yes,' she replied firmly, to applause from the audience.

Speaking to reporters later, she said she aims to 'strike a balance' between local-born and foreign-born talent.

Noting that all the table-tennis players fielded at last year's Olympics were foreign-born, she said: 'In the past, a lot of them were FTS (products of the Foreign Talent Scheme).

'We'd like to give local talent a chance.'

The eight who have been shortlisted are: Clarence Chew, 13, of the Singapore Sports School (SSP); Oscar Chau, 12, of Raffles Institution (RI); Tay Jit Kiat, 13, of SSP; Kerry Tan, 14, of RI; Isabelle Li, 14, of SSP; plus three from Raffles Girls' Secondary School - Mandy Wong, 12; Lam Teng Si, 12; and Chau Hai Qing, 14.

Read the full story in Monday's edition of The Straits Times.