Double blow for Doo Hoi-kem as she loses both titles in the world tour grand finals
Up-and-coming HK paddler is told by her coach to improve her physical fitness after she loses both her singles and women’s doubles title matches in Doha
Young Hong Kong paddler Doo Hoi-kem was hit by a double blow on the last day of the world tour grand finals in Doha, suffering successive defeats in both her gold medal matches on Sunday.
She first suffered defeat in the girls’ under-21 singles final in the morning.
Doo couldn’t contain Hina Hayata’s game as the Japanese scored a 4-1 (11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 13-11, 11-7) victory.
Things didn’t get any better in the afternoon for 20-year-old Doo, who this time lost in the women’s doubles final, partnering Lee Ho-ching. The Hong Kong pair lost after six gruelling games 4-2 (11-8, 15-17, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 12-10) as Hayata and Yui Hamamoto claimed the title.
Coach Zhang Rui urged her charge to improve her physical fitness so that she can stay competitive on the international stage as Doo “made too many unnecessary mistakes on court due to a drastic drop in her physical fitness”.
It was the third attempt by Hong Kong in the women’s doubles final at the year-end tournament. Senior colleagues Jiang Huajun and Tie Yana form the only other pairing to achieve the distinction. The pair reached the deciding contest in the 2009 edition in Macau and the following year in Seoul but lost on both occasions after they were beaten by China’s Ding Ning and Liu Shiwen and Kim Kyung-ah and Park Mi-young of the hosts respectively.
