At last: Hong Kong guaranteed first medal in Rio de Janeiro after Wong Ka-man and Ng Mui-wui reach Paralympic Games table tennis semi-finals
Poland’s Krystyna Siemieniecka and Ukraine’s Natalia Kosmina stand in the way on Sunday in the last four of the TT11 event, although there was disappointment for Wong Pui-yi in the TT5 category
Hong Kong are guaranteed a first medal in Rio de Janeiro after both defending champion Wong Ka-man and Ng Mui-wui secured a place in the semi-finals of the women’s table tennis singles (TT11) at the Paralympic Games.
London 2012 gold medallist Wong won 3-2 against Dorota Nowacka of Poland in her last group stage match, which included edging the final game 13-11 to seal the win in 36 minutes.
Wong will now meet another Pole, Krystyna Siemieniecka, on Sunday, while Ng will face Ukraine’s Natalia Kosmina for a place in the final later that day after beating Japan’s Maki Ito 3-1 in 24 minutes.
Even if they both lose their semi-finals, Wong and Ng will at least face-off in the bronze medal match to ensure Hong Kong’s 24-member Paralympic team returns from Brazil with at least one medal to show for their efforts after the 38-member Olympic Games team left Rio empty-handed.
Watch: Ng Mui-wui v Maki Ito
But it was the end of story for Wong Pui-yi as she lost 3-0 to Japan’s Kimie Bessho in her last group stage match in the women’s singles (TT5).