KUALA LUMPUR: The national table tennis camp is placing its hopes on six paddlers to end Malaysia's 36-year wait to have representatives in the Olympic Games at the 2024 edition in Paris.
National coach Beh Lee Wei said the six are Choong Javen, Leong Chee Feng and Wong Qi Shen (men) as well as Alice Chang, Ho Ying and Karen Lyne (women).
Lee Wei said Malaysia still have a chance to get back into the Olympic arena since all six of them can get a spot in Paris 2024 through an Asian-level qualifying tournament.
"There is still a chance for us because I've been told that there are slots open for paddlers from Southeast Asia at the Qualifiers, though the dates and venue have not been announced yet," she told Bernama.
Realistically, the former national paddler said Malaysia have the potential to have representatives in men's singles, women's singles and mixed pairs at the Paris Olympics.
The last time Malaysia had a representative at the Olympic Games was when two women paddlers, Lau Wai Cheng and Leong Mee Wan, competed in the 1988 edition in Seoul, South Korea.
Besides focusing on qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, which will be held from July 26 to Aug 11, Lee Wei said she will also assess the performance of the national paddlers at the 58th Malaysian Table Tennis Championships in Segamat, Johor from today Saturday (Dec 30).
Lee Wei, the winner of the 2022 National Women's Coach of the Year, said the championships in Johor will be used as a platform to decide the final list of players who will compete in the 2024 World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in Busan, South Korea from Feb 16-25.
"We will announce the target for the meet in South Korea next month, after the Johor championships," she said, adding that that panel of coaches also planned to give more focus on strengthening the national junior squad next year.- Bernama