The Hong Kong table tennis team has made another remarkable achievement! Local player Big Brother Master Wong Chun Ting, alongside the only 20-year-old Chen Hao Hua, staged a thrilling comeback in the men’s doubles final at the WTT Grand Slam in Sweden, ultimately defeating the Chinese pair Lin Shidong / Huang Youzheng with a score of 3:2 to claim the championship. This marks Wong Chun Ting’s first Grand Slam-level trophy in his professional career and represents the highest achievement for both players in less than a year of collaboration, making it truly significant.
The rise of Chen Haohua is truly a testament to the passing of the torch in Hong Kong’s table tennis scene. At just 20 years old, he, alongside fellow young talent Yao Juntao, made a stunning impact at the FISU World University Games this July, clinching the gold medal in men’s doubles, and is seen as a highly promising member of the new generation Table Tennis Twin Gems. However, Chen’s journey hasn’t been all smooth sailing; during the quarter-finals of this year’s Universiade men’s team event, he faced a shocking turnaround while leading, narrowly missing out on a medal. Under the guidance of coach Chen Jianghua, Chen Haohua and Yao Juntao managed to refocus their mindset in just two days, rising to the challenge of the men’s doubles event and charging from the round of 32 all the way to the finals to ultimately take gold. Their mental resilience and technical prowess have earned immense praise from Chen Jianghua, who previously led Li Jing and Gao Lize to an Olympic silver medal. He openly stated that the duo possesses comprehensive skills with potential that surpasses his previous Table Tennis Twin Gems, and concludes that with dedicated nurturing, they are sure to achieve great things in the future.
Reflecting on the intense battle of the men’s doubles final at this year’s WTT Grand Slam in Sweden, the Hong Kong duo of Huang Zhen Ting and Chen Hao Hua, representing Bringing in the new with the guidance of the old., started off a bit slow, dropping the first game 7:11. They managed to equal the score in the second game with an 11:9 win, but faltered again in the third, losing 4:11 and finding themselves in a 1:2 deficit. At a crucial moment, Huang Chen Pei steadied the ship, winning two consecutive games 11:6 and 11:8, ultimately pulling off a stunning comeback with a 3:2 victory. As the match ended, the two embraced in a moment of joy that was genuinely exhilarating! Looking back at their journey to the finals, they had previously defeated strong competitors from Slovakia and Korea, An Jaehyun and Lim Jonghun. In the semi-finals, they triumphed over renowned Japanese players Zhang Ben Zhi He and Shinozuka Daito. The road to this championship wasn’t easy, making their victory all the more significant.
Since teaming up last October, Wong Chun Ting and Chan Ho Yat have made incredible strides in a short time! This year, they’ve clinched the runner-up spot at the WTT Taiyuan Challenge and brought home the championship at the Zagreb event. Last month, they also reached the semifinals at the Grand Slam in the United States, continuously proving their potential and emerging as the new hopes for Hong Kong’s men’s doubles. Upon their triumphant return to Hong Kong, they were immediately surrounded by a swarm of media at the airport. Wong Chun Ting remarked that their victory came as a pleasant surprise, thanks to their thorough preparation and targeted tactical strategies. Their smooth communication on the court was a key factor for success. He emphasized the importance of handling details well and plans to strengthen their serve and receive training moving forward, aiming to achieve even greater results.
As for the young star Chen Haohua, he couldn’t hide his excitement, noting that this victory is a recognition of their daily training and has greatly boosted their confidence for future battles. He expressed gratitude for the chemistry developed with Ting Ge, highlighting that even though the adjustment period has been short, their mutual trust has deepened, allowing him to perform more decisively on the court. He also mentioned that in both the semifinals and finals they faced moments where the opponents surged ahead, describing that at those times both of them shared the mindset of Play every shot well.. This clearly shows that this men’s doubles duo possesses remarkable willpower and high resilience under pressure, and it’s believed they will write an even more glorious chapter in the history of table tennis in Hong Kong.
