Hong Kong mixed doubles pair close in on table tennis gold at Asian Games
Jiang Tianyi and Lee Ho-ching will take on North Korean world champions in final
Jiang Tianyi and Lee Ho-ching are just one step from winning a gold medal for Hong Kong in the mixed doubles after a thrilling 4-3 win over Kim Min-seok and Jeon Ji-hee of South Korea at Suwon Gymnasium yesterday.
It took more than an hour before the Hong Kong pair finished it off 11-8, 7-11, 13-11, 8-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-3 in front of the raucous home crowd.
They will now take on Kim Hyok-bong and Kim Jong of North Korea, the reigning world champions, in today's final.
"They showed great resilience in the match as it was not easy to stand the pressure of playing against the hosts under huge support from the home fans," said head coach Chan Kong-wah. "The pair has matured a lot, adopting different tactics under adverse conditions. We are definitely the underdogs against the North Koreans as they have had vast international exposure and are proven in major competitions. We will have to think thoroughly tonight to see if we can get a good game plan to tackle the opponents and hopefully pulling off a surprise in the final."
We are definitely the underdogs against the North Koreans as they have had vast international exposure and are proven in major competitions
Lee Ho-ching, a home-grown talent, was guaranteed a second medal in Incheon after reaching the semi-finals in the women's doubles with her partner Ng Wing-nam, who also came through the youth development programme. There is no need for play-off for the bronze medal.
