TABLE TENNIS: In the table tennis nation of the world, Australian youth table tennis players Vy Bui and Dominic Huang are getting pumped for their Youth Olympic Games competition to start tomorrow.
Scheduled to come up against some world class athletes at the Wutaishan Sports Gymnasium in Nanjing, both Bui and Huang are focusing their attention to their own game.
“My biggest aim is to try my best and put everything I’ve got into it so that at the end of the competition I won’t regret anything and at least I have played my best that’s all I need to know,” University student, Bui said.
“There is not much to be nervous about I’m just going to relax and to have a nice time against these world class athletes,” Huang added.
Eighteen-year-old Bui has been seeded 25th out of 32 positions and has been paired with 6th seed Ssu-Hua Chiu (TPE), 10th seed Nicole Trosman (ISR) and 24th seed Alaa Saad (EGY).
Sixteen-year-old Huang has been seeded 30th and has been placed in a particularly tough group which includes, 3rd seed Hugo Calderano (BRA), 16th seed Elias Ranefur (SWE) and 17th seed Fermin Tenti (ARG).
“I am just hoping to get past the first round which I know will definitely be a big challenge already but to have a few good wins against the higher ranked players will be a nice reward for me,” Victorian, Huang said.
Australian coach Jens Lang says his athletes will be all the better for it.
“For Dominic it is all about getting the experience and challenging his opponents as much as possible,” Lang said.
“Vy has quite a good chance in her group and on a good day is able to keep the game quite even.”
“Any win in the group stage is a plus for us.”
Despite the tough competition ahead both Bui and Huang are in high spirits about the venue and the Olympic experience so far.
“I’m getting really excited because I walked into the venue and everything seems really well organised,” South Australian, Bui said.
“Everything seems up to date, the tables are the best quality you can have, the nets everything are fantastic.”
“Us being in China where table tennis is their national sport will mean it will be packed and there will be lots of spectators and they have also prepared the venue really nice, it’s probably one of the best stadiums I have ever been in,” Huang said.
“It is just a really nice atmosphere with everyone coming together and exchanging badges and doing all sorts of really cool things, it is just like a giant family which is really nice to be a part of...It will definitely be a memory that I will never ever forget.”
Table Tennis commences on Day 1, Sunday 17 August, and goes right through until Day 7, Saturday 23 August.
The Men’s and Women’s singles will kick off the competition, and then Bui and Huang will join green and gold forces for the mixed gender events which starts on Day 4, Wednesday 20 August.
Laura Judd
Olympics.com.au
@AUSOlympicTeam