Tokyo Paralympics: Hong Kong table tennis players Wong and Ng lose in final group matches, Wong guaranteed bronze with semi berth

Rio 2016 bronze winner Ng Mui-wui loses to Poland’s Krystyna Lysiak and misses out on medal shot in Tokyo

Wong Ting-ting beaten by Japan’s Kanami Furukawa but teen moves on to unbeaten Russian Elena Prokofeva in final four where she is assured of a podium finish

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Hong Kong's Paralympic debutant Wong Ting-ting returns in a group stage rally against Lea Ferney of France at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Photo: Hong Kong Paralympic Committee

Published: 12:48pm, 27 Aug 2021Updated: 2:21pm, 27 Aug 2021

Despite defeats for both of Hong Kong’s women’s singles table tennis players at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, with Ng Mui-wui and Wong Ting-ting both losing in their class 11 preliminary matches, Hong Kong is guaranteed at least a bronze medal at these Games.

Wong had already ensured bronze by winning her first two group matches and securing a place in the semi-final where she could have been joined by her Hong Kong teammate. There is no bronze-medal play-off so both losing semi-finalists are guaranteed a place on the podium.

However, Ng Mui-wui, who had won her opening match against Japan’s Maki Ito before defeat to Russian Paralympic Committee paddler Elena Prokofeva, lost a thriller to Poland’s Krystyna Lysiak at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Friday’s morning session.

The Hongkonger won the first game 11-7 and then took a commanding lead over the winless Lysiak with another 11-7 victory in the second game

However, world No 6 Lysiak dug deep to take the next game 11-8 before edging a competitive fourth game 12-10 to stave off what had appeared to be certain defeat.

Hong Kong table tennis player Ng Mui-wui wins a game against Maki Ito of Japan in a group game at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. Photo: Hong Kong Paralympic Committee

The decider went the way of the European, 11-7, to ensure a shock 3-2 win over Hong Kong’s medal hope in just 24 minutes of quick-fire action.