There’s been no magic formula to Timothy Choi’s rapid move up the New Zealand men’s table tennis standings.
Timothy, who turns 16 this month, played for the New Zealand men’s team at the recent Oceania championships and is now firmly established as one of our top male players.
He said that was down to hard work. Nothing more, nothing less. Well, that and some fairly obvious natural ability and a desire to be the best.
But Timothy, who did not lose any singles in winning the under-19 boys’ individual title and helping North Shore win both the under-19 and men’s A grade teams events at the national championships in Invercargill last week, said quality training and coaching had been the difference.
He joined the Tornado Club on Auckland’s North Shore in November last year, working about three hours a day, seven days a week under the guidance of former Chinese team player Daniel Yantao Wei.
“I think that has had a significant role in my improvement because obviously playing there is like very different training,’’ Timothy said of the club where many of New Zealand’s leading Auckland-based juniors are training and flourishing.
“It is very different with more quality and more time to train. I think having a coach like Daniel is also a reason why I have improved so fast.’’
Timothy certainly looked a step above all he faced at the national championships where beating close rival Alex Liu Cao in the under-19 boys’ singles final was a highlight.
Guiding North Shore to its senior teams’ triumph was important too, though it was slightly easier not having to face high-class Aucklanders Teng Teng Liu or Dean Shu, who did not play in the teams’ event.
It would also have been fascinating to see how far Timothy would have gone in the men’s open singles won by Shu.
But Timothy Choi’s time in the New Zealand men’s open singles will come. That’s for sure.
He already showed by winning the North Island men’s singles in Palmerston North in July that he’s the real deal, with a super win in the final over Alfred Dela Pena a high-quality performance.
Now, though, it’s all about continuing to work hard and to further develop his backhand, which has become a weapon.
Year 11 school exams are also a focus for the rest of the year, and beyond that?
“I’m trying to go overseas to maybe play and train in Europe,’’ Timothy said.
“Maybe I could go to Germany to help my game. That’s what I would like to do.’’