14 Jan 2018

Aiming to assist competing on the international stage and to practise abroad, Wong Xinru, 17 years old, recently received the sum of $7,500 (US$ 5,600 approximately) from the Singapore Table Tennis Association’s Competition and Training Youth Development Bursary.

The award was presented by Alex Yam Ziming, Member of Parliament for the Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency and Deputy President of the Singapore Table Tennis Association on Sunday 14th January, the closing day of the National Championships.

by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Manager

Wong Xinru is a member of the Singapore Table Tennis Association’s Intermediate Squad; her achievements include winning the Under 18 Girls’ Singles title at Safra Singapore Championships and at the Dr Ng Eng Hen Cup. Additionally, she won two gold medals and one silver at the last year’s 23rd Southeast Asian Championships, whilst also securing one silver and two bronze medals at the recently concluded National Championships.

“I am very grateful to the Singapore Table Tennis Association for this financial support. It will allow me to stay focused on the sport as well as lessen the financial load on my family. I truly value this opportunity and hope to be part of the national team in the near future.” Wong Xinru

Gao Ning, the Men’s Singles champion (Photo: courtesy of Singapore Table Tennis Association)

 

Success at the National Championships, a competition which comprised seven events: Men’s Team, Women’s Team, Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles.

Gao Ning secured the Men’s Singles title at the final expense of Ethan Poh Shao Feng; Lin Ye emerged as the Women’s Singles winner, at the final hurdle she overcame Wong Xinru.

Lin Ye en route to Women’s Singles gold (Photo: courtesy of Singapore Table Tennis Association)

 

Meanwhile, the Men’s Doubles top prize was secured by Lucas Tan and Pang Xuejie, the Women’s Doubles finished in the hands of Tan Enhui and Zhang Wanling; Pang Xuejie and Zhang Wanling were crowned Mixed Doubles champions.

Ethan Poh Shao Feng beaten in the final of the Men’s Singles event by Gao Ning but earlier in the week it had been Men’s Team gold (Photo: courtesy of Singapore Table Tennis Association)

 

Earlier in the week Sunsports Team 6 (Song Min Hong, Ethan Poh Shao Feng, Gerald Yu Zong Jun, Tay Jit Kiat) had won the Men’s Team title; the counterpart Women’s Team title had been won by Safra ‘A’ (Zeng Jian, Zhou Jingyi, Zhang Wanling, Eunice Lim Zoe).

Impressively, the tournament, first organised in the 1930s, attracted over 300 entries.

Medallists at the Singapore Championships (Photo: courtesy of Singapore Table Tennis Association)

 

Roll of Honour

Men’s Singles
1. Gao Ning 2. Ethan Poh Shao Feng 3. Pang Xuejie & Koen Pang

Women’s Singles
1. Lin Ye 2. Wong Xinru 3. Yu Mengyu & Goi Ruixuan

Men’s Doubles
1. Lucas Tan / Pang Xuejie 2. Ethan Poh Shao Feng / Tay Jit Kiat 3. Koen Pang / Dominic Koh & Gerald Yu / Josh Chua

Women’s Doubles
1. Tan Enhui / Zhang Wanling 2. Goi Rui Xuan / Pearlyn Koh 3. Eunice Lim Zoe / Wong Xinru & Linda Zeng / Monica Koh

Mixed Doubles
1. Pang Xuejie / Zhang Wanling 2. Gerald Yu / Pearlyn Koh 3. Koen Pang / Wong Xinru / Tay Jit Kiat / Ang Wanqi

Men’s Team
1. Sunsports Team 6 (Song Min Hong, Ethan Poh Shao Feng, Gerald Yu Zong Jun, Tay Jit Kiat)  2. Safra White (Gao Ning, Maxxe Tay, Lucas Tan, Daniel Wong Hong Wei)  3. Safra Green (Pang Xue Jie, Beh Kun Ting, Dominic Koh Song Jun, Goh Yi Long) & Singapore Sports School (Pang Yew En Koen, Wong Yan Kai Andy, Chong Xin Le Nicholas, Zhai Yu).

Women’s Team
1. Safra ‘A’ (Zeng Jian, Zhou Jingyi, Zhang Wanling, Eunice Lim Zoe) 2. Safra Red (Tan En Hui, Lu Hua Yu, Ang Wan Qi, Pearlyn Koh Kai Xin) 3. Sunsports Team13 (Wong Xinru, Zermaine Nicole Lew, Dorothea Ban Yinyi, Goi Rui Xuan) & NTU Hall 6 Team B (Ser Lin Qian, Lynel Chiang, Chan Lu Wen, Janissa Cheng)

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