Joining Yang was his coach Jean Shi Shuqin, a gold medalist in the 2006 Micronesian Games, and Marianas Amateur Table Tennis Association president Steven Lim. Lim played a bigger role this weekend as the tournament’s deputy referee.
Yang is the very first CNMI-based player to enter in any International Table Tennis Federation World Junior Circuit event, according to Lim in an email.
As part of the process, the Oceania Table Tennis Federation conducts a qualifying tournament to select four boys and four girls in the juniors division (15-and-under) and four boys and four girls in the cadet division (18-and-under).
These representatives move on to compete in the World Junior Team Championship and the Global Cadet Challenge Championship.
“Wanting to take advantage of the rare opportunity, the MATTA has sent its first ever player (David Yang) to participate in both Oceania and ITTF junior and cadet events,” said Lim.
In the Oceania cadet team qualifying event, Yang conquered 2010 Micro Games senior men’s team member Dillion Meriang (9-11, 11-9, 8-11, 15-13, 14-12) but lost to Kiribati’s Teitua Beia (7-11, 13-15, 12-14). Yang lost again to Steven Phan of Australia (0-6, 6-11, 4-11) and proceeded to his consolation games.
“All in all, Yang placed 11th overall in the Oceania cadet boys’ competition. The Oceania juniors competition will only be a team event, which means that the CNMI will not be competing in that particular event,” continued Lim.
In a mixed team event under the Global Cadet Challenge, Yang was paired with Meriang. Both fell to opponents from New Zealand and Kiribati.
The ITTF conducts World Junior Circuit competitions around the world every year, and this is the “first time that such a competition has been hosted in Micronesia,” according to Lim. Games under the OTTF and World Junior Circuit were held simultaneously this weekend.
Joining the CNMI in the Oceania events were Australia, Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Palau, the Solomon Islands, and Tahiti. Both the Cook Islands and Federated States of Micronesia registered for the competition but pulled out last minute.
All games will conclude today.
Lim joins ITTF course
Meanwhile, Steven Lim joined the latest ITTF Basic Course for Umpires held in April 18-20. The course, created in 2008, was conducted this time by OTTF Umpires and Referees Committee’s David DelPratt of Australia.
His attendance was “a refresher for his duties as the deputy referee for the 2011 Guam Junior and Cadet Open,” according to Lim.
He is currently an OTTF accredited level 2 umpire and ITTF basic umpire.
