Izaac Kuek and Zhou Jingyi youngest Singapore-born paddlers to qualify for and participate in an Olympic Games for Singapore
The Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) proudly announced its final lineup for the national table tennis team competing in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games during a press conference held today at the OCBC Arena at the Singapore Sports Hub.
STTA President, Ms Poh Li San, introduced the athletes who will be representing Singapore in table tennis at the Tokyo 2024 Olympics - Zeng Jian (27) and Izaac Quek (18), with Zhou Jingyi (19), joining the press conference from Portugal where she is currently with her club, CTM Mirandela.
Izaac and Zeng Jian both qualified after winning the both the Men’s and Women’s Singles events at the Southeast Asia Regional Qualification Tournament held in Bangkok, Thailand in May, while Jingyi qualified by virtue of her Asian ranking that was released on 11th June, following confirmation by the International Table Tennis Association (ITTF).
Ms Poh said, “I would like to acknowledge the incredible perseverance shown by our players. Despite the challenges and setbacks, they continued to fight hard, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to the sport. The qualification of Zeng Jian, Izaac and Jingyi is a testament to their dedication and hard work. It is a significant achievement and a proud
moment for all of us.”
This achievement has hit many firsts for Singapore table tennis.
• Izaac is the youngest ever Singaporean male table tennis player and also the youngest ever Singapore-born male player to qualify for the Olympics.
• Jingyi is the youngest ever Singapore-born female player to qualify for the Olympics and the first Singapore-born female to play in the Singles Events.
• This is the first time that STTA will have two Singapore-born players qualify for a single Olympics Games.
“The primary objective for this outing is to provide them with invaluable exposure and experience on the world’s biggest sporting stage. While winning a few games would indeed be a fantastic bonus, the true value lies in the growth and development they will gain from competing at this level”, Ms Poh added.
“Qualifying for the Olympics has always been my goal from the start, and having achieved that goal, I am ready to give my best and make Singapore proud in Paris”, said Quek.
Zeng Jian added, “Competing at the Olympics is a tremendous honour, I am focused and determined to bring my best game to Paris.”
The players also revealed the Olympic jersey they will wear in Paris, designed by Raeanne Koh, a student in the Art Elective Programme (AEP) at Hwa Chong Institution. This year, STTA collaborated with HCI’s AEP students to create the Olympic jersey. Eight students submitted their designs, with Raeanne Koh’s design being selected as the winner.
Looking ahead to the next Olympic games, Ms Poh said, “The STTA remains committed to working closely with coaches and parents to nurture similar talents like Izaac and Jingyi. We aim to help more of our young athletes achieve their Olympic dreams and look forward to strengthening our team for the LA Olympics in 2028.”