Asian Games 2023: Hong Kong coach eyes group win after favourable draw for women’s table tennis team
- Women’s team will take on Uzbekistan and Bahrain in Group E in first knockout round, with top two going through
- Head coach Li Ching believes side could top the group, but warns of tough matches to follow
Hong Kong women’s table tennis team were handed a favourable draw in the Asian Games on Thursday, leading coach Li Ching to believe his team could win their group.
Hong Kong will face Uzbekistan and Bahrain in Group E, with the top two teams from each of the six groups advancing to the second knockout round.
Li, a former Olympics silver medallist, said the results of the first-round draw was “pretty good”.
“But then the draw for the second round will be crucial, it depends on the draw, because those teams who finished second in the group aren’t easy to deal with,” he said.
While the women’s team, led by Doo Hoi-kem and flanked by the likes of Lee Ho-ching and Zhu Chengzhu, are not expecting to face much trouble early on, the same cannot be said for the men, who were handed a tougher route to the next round.
Also in Group E, they have to contend with Iran, Mongolia and Bahrain in the battle for the top two spots.