Kiwis Dominate Initial Table Tennis Results

The winners and teams have been confirmed for the Oceania Cadet Challenge Table Tennis competition held in Auckland with New Zealand dominating the competition which is the premier event for under15 year olds.

Auckland's Roger Wang took out the boys singles on a countback over Australia's Dominic Huang with another Aucklander, Victor Ma third, while Australian-based Kiwi, Sophia Dong was unbeaten as she won the girls singles followed by Ruofei Rao from Auckland in second and Sarah Tan(Australia) third.

Only one player from each country can be selected in the Oceania Cadet team for the 2012 World Cadet Challenge Championships to be held in Guam later this year, meaning a competitor such as Rao missed selection in favour of players from New Caledonia and Cook Islands. Michael Brown (Oceania Table Tennis Federation Development Officer) will manage the team to Guam .

Players now build up to the Global Junior Circuit Event (under18) to be held at the Auckland Table Tennis Stadium later this week which features Roger Rao and Kevin Wu. Both have recently been a part of the New Zealand men's team at the World Championships in Dortmund, Germany. They now return to action on the Global Junior Circuit. Rao, who attends Auckland Grammar is 15 years-old, while Wu is 17 from Kohimarama, but has been training in China of late. Strangely the pair have the same birthday, 7 November, however two years apart.

There will be plenty of experience for Rao, Wu and other Kiwis to call on with Olympic hopeful and former Commonwealth Games medallist, Li Chunli as one of New Zealand coaches on site. Nations such as Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Pacific Islands will have players at the Global Junior Circuit event.

Cadet Boys' Singles:
Gold: Roger Wang (New Zealand), Silver: Dominic Huang (Australia), Bronze: Victor Ma (New Zealand)
Cadet Girls' Singles:
Gold: Sophia Dong (New Zealand), Silver: Ruofei Rao (New Zealand), Bronze: Sarah Tan (Australia)
Oceania Teams selected to compete at the 2012 Oceania Cadet Challenge in Guam later in the year:
Cadet Boys' Team
Roger Wang (New Zealand), Dominic Huang (Australia), Erwin Shan (Tahiti), Charles Ortis (New Caledonia)
Cadet Girls' Team
Sophia Dong (New Zealand), Sarah Tan (Australia), Lea Lai Van (New Caledonia), Christiana Fifita (Cook Island)