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TOP FORM
Updates In Table Tennis & Athletics
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By Mark Koh
As SEA Games' preparation goes into full swing, Singapore's prospects for a good showing in table tennis has received a boost, courtesy of the form of Yang Zi and Gao Ning (picture). As for track & field, our medal hopes have brightened with the inclusion of thrower Zhang Guirong in the team.
Impressive Showing
For the male paddlers, who are our top men's doubles pair, their good form at the US$100,000 Swedish Open recently was impressive. They made it all the way to the final, beating Sweden's Fredrik Hakansson and Jorgen Persson 4-2 in the semi-finals. In the final round, they were beaten narrowly 3-4 by China's Wang Hao and Ma Long. This final was the eighth final on the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Pro Tour this year for Yang and Gao.
Big Boost
Over in track & field, Zhang's decison to take part in the SEA Games has brought relief. She had left for China in August and her return is a big boost. Afterall, she was the gold medallist in the shot put at the 2005 SEA Games. She qualified for this year's competition after heaving 15.99m at the Asian Championships, surpassing the qualifying mark of 13.96m with ease. Apart from shot put, the Shandong native is a contender in the discus event as she is the national record-holder with her PB of 49.91m.
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