Men’s team expected to deliver as women’s team have it tough

national men’s team will be Malaysia’s best bet in table tennis at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games next month.

After failing to deliver a medal since the sport was introduced at the Manchester Games back in 2002, hopes are high for the men’s to finally break the duck in Australia through the current crop of players who are Ashraf Haiqal Rizal, Leong Chee Feng and Choong Javen.

Hopes are high on the men’s squad, as the women’s team — who won bronze in 2010 (New Delhi edition) and silver in 2014 (Glasgow edition) — are expected to face a tough time at this year’s Games.

This is following the retirement of seasoned campaigner Ng Sock Khim, who quit after the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games (KL2017) and Beh Lee Wei, who is now the national team coach.

Their absence has a silver lining as it has paved the way for fresh new faces to rise to the occasion, such as the likes of Alice Chang, Karen Lyne and Tee Ai Xin, who will be led by Ho Ying, who is the only remaining member from the 2014 Games squad.

It comes as no surprise, when the Table Tennis Association of Malaysia (TTAM) lowered their expectation, targeting only for a quarter-final finish for both the men’s and women’s squad.

Despite this, Ashraf, who is also the national No 1, urged his fellow teammates to rise to the occasion and give their best at Gold Coast.

“Looking at our record, the men’s team have yet to deliver a single medal for Malaysia. Hopefully, we aim to spring some surprises in Gold Coast to end our wait,” said Ashraf, who hopes the national team’s training stint in China would bear fruit at the Games.