Tinian players Saipan-bound on weekends

The Tinian-based members of the CNMI National Men’s Table Tennis Team have intensified their training sessions for the 6th Micronesian Games and are spending their weekends on Saipan to familiarize themselves with the rest of their teammates.

In an email to the Saipan Tribune, ping-pong national player Charlie Cheng said he, Luke Lu, and Liang Wei Bin have been training two to four hours a day, six times a week the past couple of months in preparation for the Games.

“Our training sessions are hard but fruitful and we are improving everyday,” said the 36-year-old income control supervisor of the Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino.

He also said that they have blocked out all Saturdays and Sundays leading up the quadrennial event to make the ferryboat or 15-minute plane ride to capital of the CNMI.

“We are definitely planning to take our training to Saipan on the weekends,” he said.

As far as the team’s chances go, Cheng said he and his Tinian teammates believe Team CNMI has a good chance of winning a medal in the Games.

“We are expecting to win a couple of medals—one in the men’s team and one more in the doubles. We think we will get a medal in the team competition and it might [even] be gold. We will also give all our best to win the gold. God bless the CNMI and everyone of us!” he said.

Cheng and Lu, who is 34 years old and works as casino cage supervisor, were named to the national ping-pong team by Marianas Amateur Table Tennis president Steve Lim in April following the Saipan-Tinian goodwill tournament held at TDHC.

Both Cheng and Lu hail from China’s Shaanxy province.

TDHC vice chairman Liang was also chosen as alternate to the team and the 49-year-old Guangdong, China native will takeover in case any of the five-member national ping-pong team is injured or unavailable to play in the Games.

The three Saipan-based members of the squad are no strangers to the local sports community as Su Yong Dong, Chen Lin Ying, and Budhi Gurung gave the CNMI a bronze medal in last summer’s 2005 Palau South Pacific Mini Games held in Koror.

Thirty-six-year-old Su works as executive chef of Seaman’s Restaurant, 37-year-old Chen owns Fu Ye Construction, while Gurung, who at 49 years old is the oldest member of the team, is employed by Sablan Topline Cleaning Agency.

Last week MATTA named the national women’s ping-pong team, which is made up of veteran paddler Jean Shi, netter-turned-table tennis player Lucita Pasana, and up-and-coming players Rose Agulto and Siri Welch.

Like swimming, triathlon, baseball, and softball, table tennis is one of the sports the CNMI is expected to do well and medal in the Games.