Table tennis: Four young players promoted to Singapore national team

(From left) Izaac Quek and Lucas Tan will join the men's team while Zhou Jingyi and Ser Lin Qian have been recruited for the women. PHOTOS: STTA

SINGAPORE - As part of its renewal process and commitment to nurture a new generation of paddlers, the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) on Thursday (Jan 13) announced the promotion of four players from its intermediate squad to the national team.

Izaac Quek, 15, and 22-year-old Lucas Tan will join the men's team while Zhou Jingyi, 16, and Ser Lin Qian, 15, have been recruited for the women.

STTA president Ellen Lee said: "Today, we have introduced a fresh generation of young players into our national team and STTA will continue to give the best support to our young talents, as we build the next generation of Team Singapore.

"We seek the continuous support from our various stakeholders, sponsors, parents, fans and volunteers. Let us all do our part to support the athletes. Together, we can make a greater impact that will eventually see more Singaporeans on the world stage."

Quek's inclusion in the senior side has been widely expected ever since the Singapore Sports School student-athlete in April last year became the first local to top the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Under-15 boys' world ranking.

The teenager's foundation was built at the STTA's Bishan Zone Training Centre, which he joined when he was seven. He subsequently moved up the association's junior development squad and youth training squad ranks, before he was promoted to the intermediate squad in 2020.

Quek said: "It is my dream to be a member of the national team since young. I am honoured to serve Singapore in this new capacity. STTA's confidence in my abilities means a great deal to me."

He has set a New Year's resolution of qualifying for the May 12-23 SEA Games, July 28-Aug 8 Commonwealth Games or the Sept 10-25 Asian Games.

"I look forward to the new challenges and opportunities and I promise to work hard to bring more sporting glory for Singapore," he added.

Newly inducted women's team members Jingyi and Lin Qian will provide a timely boost to the squad as the STTA prepares for life after the eventual retirements of world No. 9 Feng Tianwei and 34th-ranked Yu Mengyu - both of whom are in their 30s .

Feng, who is Singapore's most bemedalled Olympian with a silver and two bronze medals, and Yu - who finished a career-high fourth at the Tokyo Games - had previously said that the 2020 Olympics would be their last.

However, the pair could still feature in the SEA, Asian and Commonwealth Games this year.

Table tennis's new blood Jingyi and Lin Qian will be hoping to fill the void when the veterans step down eventually.

Both paddlers have had recent successes at junior tournaments.

Last October, Lin Qian won the Under-15 girls' singles title at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Youth Contender Lignano in Italy.

A month later, Jingyi won the Under-17 girls' singles at the WTT Youth Contender Szombathely, while Lin Qian finished third.

Lin Qian is the only South-east Asian recipient of the 2021 With The Future In Mind (WFIM) scholarship, a joint programme by the Olympic Solidarity and International Table Tennis Federation which seeks to support 30 promising youth players around the world.

She said: "I am very thankful that I am being promoted into the national team. I would like to thank STTA for recognising my hard work and believing that I am ready to take on more challenges. I appreciate the opportunity and I look forward to contributing to the women's team.''

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