Over 100 table tennis players across the Sultanate put their skills to the test in the Brunei Table Tennis Championship 2024, which kicked off at the Mumong Sports Complex in the Belait District on August 4.
Organised by the Belait District Table Tennis Association in conjunction with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s 78th birthday, the finals were held yesterday, attended by Acting Belait District Officer Haji Amirol Hafidzin bin Haji Muhammad as the guest of honour.
Emerged as the winner in the men’s singles was Wee Tzu Min, who defeated Awangku Md Sufi Fakhrullah bin Pengiran Md Sufian in the final, while in the women’s singles, Ting Siew Chien clinched the top spot by defeating Yvonne Yong Ya Ying in the final.
Meanwhile, in the boys’ singles, Felix Low Guo Zhang defeated Md Shahrul Fazreen Rismady for the title, and in the girls’ singles, Dayangku Nur Delisha Damia binti Pengiran Md Sufian defeated Rachel Tham Hui Shan for the title.
The boys’ singles runner-up Ak Md Sufi Fakhrullah shared, “I have been playing table tennis competitively since I was five. For this tournament, I managed to beat quite a number of good players but fell short in the end.
“Despite this, I will make use of this experience to improve my game, and hopefully fulfil my dream of becoming a table tennis champion in Brunei and beyond.”
Meanwhile, his sister, Dk Nur Delisha Damia, who claimed the girls’ singles title, said she will use the momentum of the event to win more tournaments in the future.
She also shared that growing up in a table tennis family has its bonus, that is, receiving coaching and guidance from her father.
According to Belait District Table Tennis Association president Raymond Lee, the championship was founded in 1964 to promote the sport, which he believes fosters friendship and sportsmanship.
He added, “We will continue to hold competitions to allow the public to get to know table tennis better.” – Daniel Lim
