S'pore table tennis chief Lee Bee Wah (centre) with the women's team (Photo courtesy of STTA)
Singapore is confident of achieving its stated target of winning two medals at the London Olympic Games in July, even if other rivals are beginning to catch up, said table tennis chief Lee Bee Wah.
Speaking to the media at the airport where the men's and women's teams were greeted by close to 80 well-wishers after returning from the recently-concluded World Team Table Tennis Championshipsin Dortmund, Germany, Lee warned however that Singapore cannot expect to just show up and beat their rivals.
"The standards among Singapore, Japan, Korea and Hong Kong are very close. The European teams like Germany and Netherlands are also very good now," she said, before adding: "We have to be focused, believe in ourselves, learn from this Championships and [find out] where our weaknesses are and polish up."
Singapore's women's team, silver medallists at the Beijing games four years ago, are expected to feature among the medals again this time.
But, agreeing with Lee, Singapore's top paddler and world no. 5 Feng Tianwei said the upcoming Olympics "will be a big challenge", but is nevertheless confident that the team "will do well".
On comments from Lee and women's team head coach Zhou Shushen that the team had only a one per cent chance of beating mighty China before Sunday's final, Feng was unperturbed. "Whether we have a 1 per cent or a 10 per cent chance, we have to give our 100 per cent. I think this is what they meant."
Still, the team's 100 per cent effort was not enough to prevent them from falling 3-0 to the Chinese.
Lee, while acknowledging that China "is of a class of their own", insists that they are not unbeatable.
"It depends on the [players'] performance on the day. For example, when Feng Tianwei played [China's world no. one player] Ding Ning in Sunday's final, the first set was poised at 9-9 at one point. If the result was to go the other way and Feng managed to win the first set, it will be a different game," she said.
Ding closed that set 14-12 eventually, before taking the game in four sets (14-12, 8-11, 11-4, 11-3).
Speaking on the men's team, which achieved its best finish of eighth at the Championships, Lee lauded the "historical achievement", but expressed her pleasure in seeing younger players like Pang Xue Jie and Clarence Chew being given the chance to play.
"We have been trying to groom our local talents, our younger players. So I hope with Gao Ning and Yang Zi around to guide the younger ones, Xue Jie and Clarence can become world-beaters very soon."
Well-wishers gathered at the airport to welcome the team (Yahoo! Photo)
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