STUDENT badminton player Wong Kwok-wai made a promising Grand Prix debut when he and Tam Kai-chuen scored an encouraging first round win in the men's doubles event at the Thai Open.
The Hong Kong pair were at their best in disposing of Canada's Francois Dion and Alain Bourbeau, romping to a convincing 15-8, 15-2 victory.
However, their celebrations were short-lived as they were bundled out in the second round by the formidable Thai combination of Narong Kui and Watana Suwau.
Kwok-wai, a student at the Technical Institute, was out of his depth in the singles competition against top-seeded Joko Suprianto of Indonesia and could win only one point in each game.
Nevertheless, the budding youngster will be given another chance to test his mettle against the world's best in the Lipton Hong Kong Open at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium from November 18-21.
Another promising schoolboy player given a chance to pit his skill against the top professionals is Chan Tse-kin, a La Salle College student who has been entered for next week's China Open in Guangzhou.
