Saturday, May 24, 2008
10:12 AM
Table tennis fraternity in shock

SINGAPORE'S table tennis fraternity was reeling this week from the news of Zheng Qi's death in a car accident in Shanghai on Wednesday night. He was 30 years old.

Zheng Qi was Singapore's assistant national coach at the Asian Games in December 2006, but he left after the Asiad to coach the Shanghai women's team.

He married former national player Zhang Xueling in October 2006 after a five-year courtship.

Zhang left Singapore in March last year to be with her husband in Shanghai.

News of the tragedy sent shockwaves through the fraternity, including Singapore men and women's national teams who are currently competing at the Japan Open in Yokohama.

Said Singapore Table Tennis Association's (STTA) high performance manager Antony Lee: "Most of the players know Zheng Qi and Xueling, so of course they are shocked.

"Some of the players in the table tennis fraternity, including the Singapore players, have called her. It's really sad as she was breaking down (over the phone).

"It's unfortunate that this has happened and we would like to offer our condolences to the family.
"When contacted by Today, STTA chief executive Jackie Tay said: "Everyone in the association was sad to hear the news and our sympathies go out to Xueling.

"We'll be sending a wreath to the funeral and an STTA representative will be going to Shanghai to convey our condolences to Zheng Qi's family.

"Zheng, who was appointed assistant national coach in 2006, represented Singapore in international competitions between 2002 and 2005.

He competed in singles and doubles events, playing alongside national players like Cai Xiaoli, Yang Zi and newly crowned Sportsman of the Year, Gao Ning.

His wife Zhang, who received her citizenship in 2001, was a member of the women's team that won the Republic's first Commonwealth gold medal in the 2002 Games in Manchester.

She won four more gold medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

The Beijing-born player was also a part of Project 0812, a government initiative to help elite athletes achieve medal success at the Beijing Olympics or the London Games in 2012.

She became the first athlete to quit the programme in March last year.

(Source: www.todayonline.com LOW LIN FHOONG)




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