UTT 2025: Izaac Quek aims to end Singapore's 16-year medal drought at LA 2028 Olympics
Half of the country's six Olympic medals have come in ping pong but there has been no podium-finish since 2012. Also, all three medallists were born in China.
But the 19-year-old Izaac is a Singaporean through and through. The talented youngster, who doesn't have a sports background, already made history last year in Paris as the youngest-local born player to qualify for the Olympics.
'I started playing table tennis in school at the age of 7. My family didn't play table tennis at all. I randomly chose the sport because one time, I played with my family and I really enjoyed it. To be able to come from there to qualify for the Olympics was a dream,' said Izaac, who is playing for Dabang Delhi in Season 6 of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) league in Ahmedabad.
ALSO READ | Indian players keen to learn as Fan Siqi ends eight-year Chinese absence
In his debut UTT season, Izaac - the youngest overseas player - has already impressed everyone with wins over Kanak Jha and Portuguese Tiago Apolonia. He had a nervous start against Jha but after conceding the opener to the American, he has clinched five straight games. Apolonia, who is double the age of Izaac, and the 24-year-old Jha found themselves wanting when it came to keeping up with the quick reflexes.
The low center of gravity - Izaac is 172cm tall - and raw power help the Singaporean produce winning shots even from some very difficult positions.
For Izaac, the current Olympic cycle is very important for him after which he will be forced to leave the paddle for a while. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI/The Hindu
'There are not many tournaments where you can team up with foreigners, fight and try to win a competition. We always see each other internationally but we are always competing against each other. Trying to adapt and playing together is a good opportunity for me,' said Izaac, describing his experience in India so far.
For Izaac, having played all the major tournaments already, the next goal is to better his results at those events. The current Olympic cycle is very important for him after which he will be forced to leave the paddle for a while.
'In Singapore, for boys, two years of military training is compulsory. There are no exemptions even if I win a gold at the Olympics. I can only defer the national service. Right now, I am still in school but I'll be going for military training after the LA Olympics. So, either in late 2028 or 2029,' revealed the teenager.
ALSO READ | Dabang Delhi TTC, PBG Pune Jaguars remain unbeaten after winning respective matches
World No. 98 Izaac came into the national limelight after his run to the round of 16, which included wins over veterans Achanta Sharath Kamal and Sweden's Mattias Falck, at the Singapore Smash 2023. However, it's his consistency in doubles which could be crucial to the country's hopes of clinching an Olympic medal after 16 years.
Izaac and Koen Pang, another local-born Singaporean, are World No. 11 in the men's doubles ITTF Rankings. They also grabbed a silver medal at the Asian Championships 2024. 'We didn't imagine reaching such a high level. We are trying to use that confidence and bring it to singles because we have a lot of room for improvement. The men's doubles are a separate event at the LA Olympics. So, me and Pang will be focussing on the doubles while also improving our singles,' said a hopeful Izaac.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
9 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘To create Olympic warriors' – India's new Archery Premier League aims for bull's eye
The myth that India just cannot win an Olympic archery medal, has taken root with each heartbreak and fourth place disappointment at subsequent Games. But the mythology – and separately the history – of India being an ancient land of great archers, however, will provide the inspiration for the Archery Premier League, with the first edition set to kick off on Dasra, the last day of Navratri, October 2, which is also Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti. Modern-day mental demons of India's finest archers tend to be the performance pressure that drags them down at every Olympics, and it is this mythical beast that the Archery Association of India seeks to prepare them against, through the league. The 6-team league is expected to run from October 2 – 14, and the likely venue would be the Yamuna Sports Complex. While Dr Joris doesn't disclose the teams which will be announced in coming days, social media activity points to possible franchises from Ranchi, Delhi, Telangana, Chennai, Bangalore and possibly a team from either Maharashtra or Rajasthan to honour the western flank warriors of the country. The team match will be contested over mixed team duels – each in Recurve and Compound (now an Olympic event) – and a total of 10 days will be devoted to round robin fixtures, with 3 matches per day. Each match will last 20 minutes, and the arrow shooting time has been reduced to 15 seconds from the internationally allotted 20 seconds, 'to pile the pressure and get them used to tension.' It must be recollected that many big names in Indian archery have wilted in the competition cauldron of Olympics, falling to nerves, even while winning in minimal pressure 'World Cups'. Korea, the world's premier Archery nation is known to simulate pressure tactics for its archers and put them under intense stress, in their domestic competitions. This promises to be a trial by fire, for Indian archers too, as crowds will be encouraged to create a noisy din. 'We want to make the event much faster so that it's a sterner Test,' Dr Ummacherial says. While Doordarshan will loyally broadcast the league, talks are underway for OTT presentation with JioStar and Sony both. Teams have been nudged to enlist brand ambassadors, and film stars and famous sportspersons will be unveiled in coming days, aligned to every team. While the doctor didn't divulge any details, a corporate that has been part of Indian archery's journey for many decades, is expected to take up the Ranchi franchise. The other franchise owners are not historically associated with archery. The inaugural season will see players drafted, and not auctioned, and each squad of 8 members (4 women & 4 men), can have 2 foreign archers on their roster, and are mandated to field 1 of them, amongst the 4 that will make up the team. An archer ranked in Top 10 in the world stands to earn USD 10,000, while someone that is Top 8 in India, but not Top 20 in world, will earn USD 8000. A few other rules, not part of international archery, have been included. Besides the shorter drawing and pull time, a shootoff in case of a tie, will have a sudden death, though an extra point will be given for a smack bullseye – besides the inner/outer points system of the concentric rings. The target distances remain 70 metres and 50 metres. It is also learnt that one point of contention at the ideating stage of the APL was the competition gear of archers. One idea floated was that teams will cosplay and pick a regional, traditional outfit to create the cultural vibe. Archery's technical officials with their sights on the ultimate goal of Olympic medal, though, insisted that archers stick to their international standard competition gear, but could turn up for interviews in ethnic wear, that highlights Indian culture. It's time for mythology to pave the path for the country's top archers to bust myths of their non-medalling and become modern day history-makers.
The Hindu
9 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Coach Lee won't join Indian team before World archery championships
Renowned recurve coach Kisik Lee will not join the Indian team prior to the World archery championships in Gwangju, Korea, from September 5 to 12. Lee was supposed to take over as the Indian recurve team's head coach in August and guide the archers up to 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but it is understood that his contract had not been finalised yet. 'Some papers are pending with the Sports Authority of India (SAI). These are small issues, related to tax payment,' Archery Association of India (AAI) treasurer Joris Paulose Ummacheril told The Hindu. Even though the 67-year-old US-based Korean has a coaching camp to conduct in November, the AAI expects him to join this year. 'We want him to join after the World championships, some time later this year,' said Ummacheril. Archery league Meanwhile, the AAI is looking for sponsors for its proposed archery league, scheduled from October 1 to 14. The league will have six teams with each side having eight archers, including four from recurve and four from compound. Every team will have two male and two female archers in recurve and compound. There will be two foreigners on each side.
The Hindu
9 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Nepal trains for ICC T20 World Cup Qualifiers at BCCI Centre of Excellence
Nepal men's team has been training at the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Qualifers, the Indian board announced on Tuesday. 'Making full use of the facilities, the team worked across skill, fitness, and game scenarios to gear up for the challenges ahead,' the BCCI said in a social media post. The Nepal men's team had also trained at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in August last year and participated in domestic practice tournaments in India. As part of their preparation for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifiers, the Nepal national team trained at the BCCI Centre of Excellence over a focused two-week camp 👌 Making full use of the facilities, the team worked across skill, fitness, and game scenarios to gear up for… — BCCI (@BCCI) August 12, 2025 Nepal will be part of the Asia/East Asia-Pacific qualifier tournament, along with Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Samoa, and the UAE. Three of these teams will advance to the T20 World Cup 2026, which will held in India and Sri Lanka in February-March 2026.
