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Tinian to host ping-pong tourney vs Saipan on Sunday
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Posted on May 20 2004
The Marianas Amateur Table Tennis Association will travel to Tinian to compete in a goodwill tournament against the island’s top ping-pong players this Sunday, May 23, at the Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino.
MATTA president Steven Lim said Saipan-based table tennis players like Budhi Gurung, Su Yong Dong, Liu Wei, Lin Ying Chen, Huang Zhenfa, and himself will ride the ferryboat to Tinian.
“It’s been quite a while. The last time we did this kind of competition was back in September here on Saipan and we’re excited to play Tinian and have fellowship with them,” said Lim.
He added that Saipan ping-pong players are itching to get back at this year’s host after Tinian creamed them in the goodwill competition held last year at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.
Saipan was on the defensive throughout the tournament and it took key wins by Gurung to make the final overall team scores close. Tinian won the event 16-9.
“We’re definitely still smarting from that defeat and eager to avenge the loss against Tinian last time we did the goodwill series,” said Gurung.
But hindering Saipan’s competitiveness this Sunday is the absence of reigning MATTA singles champion Simon Li, who is in China.
“Simon’s away but I think the addition of Su would help our cause. Su was a past champion in Tinian when he used to work there years back and he knows most of the players there,” added Gurung.
Lim said Saipan players have been training twice a week the past month to get ready for the goodwill tournament.
But Tinian would be a tough nut to crack, especially since reports have it that its players have been staging four- to five-day workouts a week to prepare for Saipan.
“It’s going to be great competition. Will try to do what we can to give a better fight this time,” said Lim.
Last year, Saipan went up against a Tinian powerhouse team led by former national team trainee Chang Zhan Xje. The rest of the Tinian 2003 team was made up of Cheng Bing, Lu Jun, Liang Wei Bin, and Tom Shan.
