The Journey of a Future Champion
One day, out of the blue, when my dad came to pick me up from my nanny’s house, I suddenly shouted, “Table tennis!” I still don’t remember why I said it, but that moment sparked everything. My dad then brought me downstairs at our condominium, handed me a racket, and we played exactly 10 balls before heading home. Even though it was just 10 balls, I was over the moon. That was when my dad realized I had the same passion for table tennis as he did when he was younger. After that day, he signed me up for zonal training once a week. It all started with me learning to balance the ball on my racket, then bouncing it. Once I gained better control, I moved on to learning how to serve and eventually began training with multi-ball and single-ball drills.
One day, I told my dad that I wanted to represent Singapore in overseas competitions. Hearing this, he arranged a few one-on-one sessions for me, and that was when my table tennis journey truly began. After those sessions, I would head to the stadium to run a few laps before going home. That routine not only improved my stamina but also made me fall in love with the sporting lifestyle.
As I improved, I went for my first training at Clementi. Coincidentally, the Pei Hwa team was training there too. Their coach was observing me while I trained with my coach. At the time, I was looking for a primary school with a table tennis CCA. Just then, the Pei Hwa coach approached my dad and asked which school I was from. He invited me to join Pei Hwa’s team and transfer in. Even though I had only trained for a year, the coach saw potential in me. When I transferred into Pei Hwa, I couldn’t believe how many talented players I got to train and compete with. I loved the people and the environment, and I really enjoyed training as part of the team.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, my dad bought a table tennis table so I could train at home every day. That was when I started improving tremendously. After the lockdown, we had a few months to train before my first-ever STTA competition. On the day of the competition, I managed to achieve a top 8 position in the Primary 2 category. Even though I couldn’t get a medal because of social distancing, I was already overjoyed to place top 8 in my first competition.
In Primary 4, I won my first-ever medal—top 8 in the whole of Singapore in the Primary 4 category. I had never felt that happy before. All the hard work from CCA and one-on-one sessions had finally paid off. I even made the decision to stop ballet, swimming, and art—activities I had been doing long before table tennis—because I realized table tennis was what I truly loved and found meaningful. From that day on, I started earning more and more trophies and medals.
That same year, I joined the Singapore Junior Development Squad and received my first jersey with the Singapore flag on it. I started making friends with other top players from all over Singapore. Just a year later, I went for my first-ever overseas competition in Laos. I gave it my all, and even though I didn’t win any medals, it was a great experience. My coach told me I played well, especially since I was competing against players from powerhouse countries like China, Japan, and Korea.
In Primary 5 and 6, our school won first place in the National School Games, and I felt so lucky to be part of the team. Of course, my journey wasn’t always easy. There were times I lost tough matches that I felt I could have won. My dad would patiently rewatch my matches with me, pointing out my mistakes and strengths. I also kept a reflection book where I wrote down notes after every match so I could prepare better if I faced the same opponent again.
Whenever I won, I didn’t just feel excited—I felt deeply grateful. I knew every win was the result of countless hours of hard work, sacrifice, and support from my family and coaches. Each victory motivated me even more, pushing me to set higher goals. And whenever I lost, I felt like I hadn’t worked hard enough, like a heavy stone was weighing down on me. But I learned to turn that disappointment into motivation to train harder for the next match.
After deep consideration, I decided to apply to Singapore Sports School because I truly love my sport and wanted a place where I could train daily while keeping up with my studies. It’s basically like studying in any other school, except it’s more time-saving since I can train, study, eat, and sleep all in the same place. Staying in boarding school has helped me become more responsible and independent as I grow older. It also allows me to continue pursuing my dream in table tennis while giving me the option to apply for the IB program, which most other schools don’t offer.
I know many people think that Sports School is mainly for sports, but they’re wrong. Sports School encourages us to excel both in sports and academics. I hope to go into the IB program so I can secure a spot in university after two years of study. If I do well academically, I might even be able to study overseas and get a good job. But for now, I don’t want to think too far ahead, since studying overseas would be expensive and I’d miss my parents. For now, my goal is simple: to do what I love in table tennis, maintain my stamina, earn more trophies and medals in competitions, and work towards my academic dreams. I believe that through Sports School, I can achieve both my sporting and academic goals—and keep my future full of possibilities.
