
Hong Kong youngster Baldwin Chan to help ease workload at World Table Tennis Championships
Advertisement
For the first time since her tournament debut in Paris in 2013, Doo Hoi-kem will not have to play in all three categories and can focus on a slightly reduced workload of singles and mixed doubles.
Her mixed doubles partner Wong Chun-ting will have his third men's doubles partner in Chan, and with the World Championships debutant shouldering two doubles events and the men's singles in Doha, the 21-year-old was at the centre of most conversations.
'He's a young player with potential,' the 34-year-old Wong said. 'He's fast, and as a left-hander, gives us some advantage in the doubles.
'I hope to give him some new perspectives [as a partner] to help him in singles, and I hope we can provide a new spark.'
Doo Hoi-kem (left) and Wong Chun-ting hope to improve on the bronze medals they have won. Photo: HKCTTA
Wong said the pair had a decent draw, with the first hurdle expected at the round of 16, when they potentially face Florian Bourrassaud and Esteban Dorr of France.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong pickleball star wants sport to come out of tennis' shadow
Jack Wong Hong-kit believes pickleball deserves to stand on its own and not just be considered an extension of other racquet sports. Speaking ahead of this week's Hong Kong Open, the city's top player said he was focused on making his home fans proud as the Professional Pickleball Association makes its debut at Kai Tak Arena on Thursday. The former national team tennis star also said he was able to find 'my second spring' in pickleball and dreamed of representing Hong Kong if the sport were ever included in the Olympics. 'People said it's like tennis or table tennis, but I don't think so; there are maybe some similar moves, but pickleball is a sport of its own,' said Wong, who retired from tennis for the second time last year to focus on a new career. 'Pickleball doesn't require much stamina, but there are so many technical details and variations. It's not like tennis, which requires sheer power, and you just need to serve hard to win.' Hong Kong's top pickleball player Jack Wong Hong-kit in action. Photo: Handout The 26-year-old said players with tennis, table tennis, and badminton backgrounds would find pickleball relatively easy to learn and might even show rapid improvement within the first three months.


South China Morning Post
8 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Kicking addiction: Hong Kong team seeking redemption at Homeless World Cup
A team of Hong Kong footballers and coaches, who have struggled with gambling and drug abuse, are aiming to overcome their pasts by competing in the 20th Homeless World Cup in Norway this week. The players, led by captain Habib Akeel Amjid, flew to Oslo on Thursday to represent Hong Kong at the tournament, where they will compete against 39 other men's teams for the title. For Amjid, a 42-year-old father of three children aged between four months and nine years, playing for the team transformed his life from previously borrowing money to fund gambling, suffering from drug abuse and sleeping on the streets. 'I slept in Victoria Park last September and October. I had lost so much money, I couldn't go home. I'd occasionally shower at friends' or at the public disabled toilets,' said Amjid, who lost more than HK$40,000 (US$5,127) in one night. He became involved in gambling through people he met who also used cannabis and, over three to four years, sank into a quagmire of addiction, spending all of his salary – including what was meant to support his family. On a friend's recommendation, he tried out for the homeless football team.


South China Morning Post
15 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Bars near Hong Kong Stadium hoping for another big score from Ronaldo match
Restaurants and bars near Hong Kong Stadium have enjoyed a spike in business of at least 20 per cent thanks to the city hosting the Saudi Super Cup and are gearing up for Saturday when football legend Cristiano Ronaldo is set to play again. More than 30,000 spectators watched Ronaldo and his team Al-Nassr beat Al-Ittihad 2-1 at the Causeway Bay stadium on Tuesday. Al-Nassr will play either Al-Ahli or Al-Qadisiyah on Saturday in the final. Yuga, a cha chaan teng, or Hong Kong-style cafe, on Caroline Hill Road and a short nine-minute walk from the stadium, said that it had recorded an around 20 to 30 per cent rise in business because of the match, with a constant stream of customers at both tea and dinner time. 'There have been more people in the restaurant since 4pm and the customer flow only slowed after 8.30pm,' Nic Lai, vice-manager of the restaurant, said on Wednesday. 'We will have one to two extra staff and will prepare more food for Saturday.' Football fans enter Hong Kong Stadium for the Saudi Super Cup match on Tuesday. Photo: Elson Li The restaurant had previously said its business was highly dependent on the weather as customers would often choose other eateries closer to the MTR station when it rained.