by Simon Daish
In the final the second seeded pairing of Ng Wing Nam and Soo Wai Yam Minnie held off a brave challenge from Miyuu Kihara and Miyu Nagasaki with the unseeded Japanese duo narrowly missing out on a dream finish to the competition.
Required to compete in the qualification rounds, Miyuu Kihara and Miyu Nagasaki outperformed expectations to reach the title match and made a bright start against Ng Wing Nam and Soo Wai Yam Minnie, claiming the opening game by a three point margin to earn a shock lead.
However, the partnership from Hong Kong found another level in their performance and three consecutive game wins later it was Ng Wing Nam and Soo Wai Yam Minnie who received the title (8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-2).
Success in Otocec marks Ng Wing Nam and Soo Wai Yam Minnie’s first Women’s Doubles gold medal as a pairing at an ITTF Challenge Series event, an excellent achievement from the partnership when considering their nervous full distance encounters in the opening two rounds of the tournament.
While the trophy may have eluded them on this occasion, Miyuu Kihara and Miyu Nagasaki can leave Otocec feeling very happy with their performance and are bound to come back fighting even stronger further down the line.
