Feng eyes gold in all her three SEA Games events
World No. 6 paddler describes her form as 'pretty good' ahead of SEA Games
Three events, three gold medals.
National paddler Feng Tianwei wants to show why she is South-east Asia's top paddler by winning all her three events - the women's singles, doubles and team competition - at the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur from Aug 19 to 30.
"The SEA Games take place only once in two years, and I know how important this meet is to Singapore," the world No. 6 told reporters on the sidelines of the T2 Asia-Pacific Table Tennis League (T2Apac) at Pinewood Studios in Johor Baru yesterday.
"I feel pretty good about my form and I feel that my match against the Thai opponent (Suthasini Sawettabut) today was a good indication of that.
"I am very focused on the SEA Games and I am looking to winning all the gold medals on offer."
Redemption is also on the 30-year-old's mind after the singles disappointment at the 2015 SEA Games on home soil.
Despite winning a gold in the team event and a silver in the women's doubles, Feng suffered a shock exit in the singles event when she lost to Suthasini - her same opponent in the T2Apac yesterday - in the quarter-finals.
The Thai went on to beat Malaysian Ng Sock Khim in the final to win the singles gold.
The 23-year-old Suthasini will again be one of Feng's main rivals in Kuala Lumpur but, in a strong statement of intent, she made light work of the Thai in a 5-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-6, 11-10, 5-1) victory in the third round of the T2Apac yesterday.
I am very focused on the SEA Games and I am looking to winning all the gold medals on offer.National paddler Feng Tianwei
The T2Apac runs on a time-based format and, instead of best-of-five or first-to-seven matches, paddlers need to rack up as many game wins as possible in a fixed period of 24 minutes.
The inaugural season of the T2Apac features 24 of the world's top players, who are split into four teams of six (three men and three women).
They will play singles matches over seven sessions a season, which fit into breaks in the International Table Tennis Federation calendar.
Feng admitted that her performance against Suthasini was "encouraging", but the former Olympic silver medallist knows she cannot be complacent at the SEA Games.
Feng said: "She is not a very favourable opponent for me, especially because of what happened at the last SEA Games where I lost to her.
"Although it was a very encouraging performance against her, it will be different at the SEA Games.
"Thailand and Malaysia look very formidable.
"Malaysia have a few young players who are up and coming."
Since being dropped by the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) last year, Feng has been training alone, but she has been reunited with her former teammates for the SEA Games.
"For this SEA Games, I am with the STTA and I am currently training with them," said Feng.
"That will be the plan for the next two weeks."
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