Hong Kong won its first gold medal at the National Games for Persons with Disabilities on Tuesday, thanks to an all-out effort by the table tennis pair of Wong Hon-lam and Winnie Pang.

Wong and Pang edged out their Jiangsu opponents 3-2 in a tense XD14 mixed doubles final in Guangzhou.

The match was tight, with both pairs taking turns to level the score at 2-2 before the Hong Kong duo surged ahead in the decider.

In the fifth game, the SAR pair seized control from the start, winning seven straight points and never looking back as they closed out the set 11-1 to clinch the title.

After the match, Wong thanked their coach for telling them to stay with the game plan for the victory.

“When we led 2-1 in sets, and 7-2 in score in the fourth set, I was already imagining the celebration. But we made a few errors, and our opponents suddenly elevated their game. We worried it might go to a fifth set. We pushed to close it in four but couldn’t,” he said.

“Our coach urged us to stick to the game plan from earlier sets as the decider began. We fought for the first five points to open it up, and everything felt easier after that.”

Pang, for her part, stressed that the pressure of carrying Hong Kong’s medal hopes weighed heavily.

“I felt pressured. I enrolled in four events. After failing to win a medal in the team event I was quite nervous, unsure if I would get the results I wanted.

“But once the doubles match started, I realised I was playing well so I relaxed and my heart settled. I just gave my best and won.”

Pang then teamed up with Lo Ka-hei to play in the TT6 women’s doubles final, which was contested in a single round-robin format.

They were beaten 3-0 by their Chongqing rivals, but the pair's two earlier victories were enough to secure Hong Kong a silver medal.

The SAR's paddlers took home three more medals in the afternoon.

Wong added a silver to his collection after finishing second with teammate Lam Ka-wai in TT8 men’s doubles.

The sibling duo of Tong Chi-ming and Tong Chi-yung also took silver in TT7 men’s doubles.

Wong Pui-yi and Yuen Wing-ki rounded out the haul with bronze in TT5 women’s doubles.
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Last updated: 2025-12-09 HKT 18:44