China's Ding Junhui Wins Asiad Snooker Singles Gold

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, October 06, 2002

China's Ding Junhui Wins Asiad Snooker Singles Gold

Chinese snooker player Ding Junhui won the snooker singles gold medal at the 14th Asian Games on Saturday. Ding, reigning world junior champion, defeated Supoi Saenila of Thailand to take the title. Chan Kwok Ming from Hong Kong, China finished third.

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Ding Junhui Wins Asiad Snooker Singles Gold

World junior champion Ding Junhui did not let the golden opportunity slip away again.

The 15-year-old boy cruised to the Asian Games snooker singles title today, the first ever gold for China in the games history, as he conquered Thai ace Supoj Saenla, seven years older than him,3-1 in an easy manner.

"He has found his best form with the Games going on," said a delighted team manager Cui Zhiqiang. "There had been great pressure on the boy because he wanted to play well for his country."

"But he brought out his full potential today," added Cui.

More composed and steady, the Chinese teenager finally found his formidable form. He left little chance for the Thai, 2001 Asian junior title winner, as he made an 80-point break from the very start before finishing the second set 81-1.

The third set saw a desperate struggle from Saenla, who converted two of Ding's mistakes into sizable breaks to pull one set back.

But the determined Ding was to make a golden redemption after he was eliminated in the first round of snooker doubles before theChinese was forced to accept a runner-up position in the team event, which Hong Kong of China defended successfully.

Their team silver, however, was also a milestone for Chinese snooker as it was the first medal won in an Asian Games.

"It is the first time Ding attended such a major multi-sport games as he spent some time adapting himself to it," said Cui.

The Chinese teenager, nicknamed "little Ding" by his elder teammates, made full use of his opponent's nervousness, which was pricked up by the live broadcast of his country as Ding clinched his victory 65-26.

"It is the true reflection of his strength," concluded the teammanager.

Rated as the most promising snooker player in China, Ding showed his snooker talent very early in life.

At the age of 10, Ding has become invincible at his hometown after he learned to play snooker for only one year.

His potential soon drew attention from the Chinese Billiards Association when he, as spectator, challenged the master hands during an interval of the competition in the World Snooker Championship last year in Guangzhou, south China.

Systematic training started when he turned 11. Since then, he has been practicing eight hours a day without a day off.

He is eagerly waiting to celebrate his next birthday when he will be old enough to attend the world professional league, where his idols British Stephen Hendry is battling.

He said he would be exerted to fight through the Asian qualifying rounds to the professional league, for which only the top 128 players are eligible.

"His composure in playing snooker is well beyond his age," saidCui." He will have a bright future." (by Ma Xiangfei)

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