He won’t win the tournament but 12-year-old Vanuatan table tennis player Yoshua Shing has won the hearts of Commonwealth Games spectators.
The softly-spoken student is pulling in the punters to the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre who want to catch a glimpse of the competition’s youngest participant who watches cartoons when he’s not playing ping pong.
Shing said he was surprised by the level of support he has received.
”I find it very good because I don’t know how they find me,” he said. ”I just know that they call my name. I can’t believe that, who told them my name?”
This is the first time Vanuatu has had a table tennis team at the Commonwealth Games, but it is Shing’s third international outing since taking up the sport two-and-a-half years ago.
”Table tennis is not big in Vanuatu, it is very small — football is big in Vanuatu,” he said.
”I’ve started playing because my brother played table tennis.”
Shing has been identified by the International Table Tennis Federation as a future star and last year he was able to travel to China for extra training.
He has also played on the world junior circuit in Fiji and at competitions in China and the Dominican Republic. But his goal is the Beijing Olympics.
Despite losing in the team tournament against South Africa on Thursday and again to New Zealand on Friday, he is confident he can make the grade.
”We lost two matches but it’s OK,” he said. ”I played well, I am still young and I can get better.
”I just go well and if I lose, no problem.”
New Zealand paddler Andrew Hubbard, who didn’t play Shing but who watched his match against teammate Shane Laugesen, said he has a big future.
”He looks to have a lot of ability and he has a future although he was a bit out of his depth today.” – AFP
