Saipan’s No. 1 was also once Tinian’s numero uno

Even before becoming Saipan’s No. 1 ping-pong player, 2005 Palau South Pacific Mini Games bronze medalist Su Yong Dong was already the top player on Tinian.

So, it was just fitting that the former Tinian No.1 led Saipan to its first-ever win against their cross channel rivals during the 7th CNMI Goodwill Table Tennis Tournament held at Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino a month ago.

“I’m very happy after winning the overall championship. I actually played on Tinian before I relocated to Saipan and I was their No. 1 player. I played a lot against [Tinian’s current top player] Luke Lu and I usually beat him,” said Su, who now works as executive chef of Seaman’s Restaurant in Lower Base.

Su said after he lost to Lu last year, which contributed to Saipan losing its sixth straight goodwill tournament against Tinian, he rededicated himself to playing table tennis.

“I lost to Luke last year because I didn’t have enough practice, but because of the [2006 South Pacific] Mini Games training we were able to practice thrice a week and I finally was able to return to top form,” he said.

Being part of the CNMI National Table Tennis Team with good friends Chen Lin Ying and Budhi Gurung stirred Su’s competitive juices and as a result he doubled his practice sessions, which led to him becoming Saipan’s No. 1 player before the goodwill tournament on Tinian and then culminated with his dominating the tournament with an 8-0 record en route to giving Saipan its first victory against Tinian in seven tries.

Su said he didn’t play much table tennis when he first came to the capital island of the CNMI and, in fact, didn’t even know that the Marianas Amateur Table Tennis Association existed.

It was only after he met Gurung—through friends from Hyatt Regency Saipan—that he was able to learn about MATTA, which made him take up the sport again.

Su said he started playing ping-pong when he was six years old in his home province of Guangdong, China.

Although he learned the sport at school, Su didn’t take highly of his table tennis talent and begged off from joining tournaments. It was only when he came to Tinian that he played ping-pong competitively.

These days, Su continues to practice two and three times a week at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium multi-purpose room. He also watches a lot of table tennis videos to pick up techniques to improve his game.

When he was younger, Su thought playing tennis was all about hand speed, but as he grew older, he found out that the game is more mental than anything else, and now tries to outsmart his opponent rather than just overpower him.

About the CNMI’s chances in the 6th Micronesian Games set for June and July on Saipan, Su said it would be hard to beat Guam “because the Korean guy who used to play for the country’s national team is pretty good.”

Su also has an added inspiration these days, as he and Emily Kan became proud parents to a bouncing baby girl they named Sophia last March 29.

In the words of Su’s coach in the Mini Games last year, MATTA president Steven Lim, “Su is a sensible person, who has recently embraced the family way and has become a proud father. To me, I appreciate him as much for that as I do for his table tennis abilities.”