Eager for action: Chee Chao Ming will be making his second appearance in a major multi-sport event. — Chao Ming’s Facebook
PARA table tennis player Chee Chao Ming was mocked at as a kid but now he is having the last laugh.
The 25-year-old is brimming with pride over a chance to represent Malaysia as one of the 104 athletes vying for glory at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games starting today.
The Commonwealth Games is the only multi-sport event where para athletes can stand proudly alongside their able-bodied teammates where the medals they win count in the official standings.
It will be Chao Ming’s second appearance in a major multi-sport games following his Tokyo Paralympics debut last year.
Chao Ming has already earned a feather in his cap by virtue of making the eight-man cut for the Commonwealth Games in the men’s singles C8-10 category (impairment in legs or playing arm).
This is because only the leading six players from the Commonwealth nations qualified outright through the International Table Tennis Federation para rankings on May 1, with the remaining two athletes making it via a wild card.
However, the odds are stacked against the world No. 22 Chao Ming as he faces formidable foes, including world No. 4 and Tokyo Paralympics silver medallist Ma Lin of Australia, Joshua Stacey of Wales and defending champion Ross Wilson of England.
Chao Ming knows it will be tough.
“I lacked high-level competitions in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games. I did take part in a competition in Jordan and managed to win the gold but that was not a high level meet,” admitted Chao Ming.
“I made up for the lack of competitive tournaments by competing in able bodied tournaments in the country but it’s definitely not enough. It will be hard to win a medal but I will just give my best shot and see how far I can progress,” said Chao Ming, who picked up table tennis when he was only eight.
But it was not until he was 13 when he started to train harder.
“I weighed 100kg at that time and the kids constantly teased me, so I started to train harder to lose weight. I slowly improved over time,” said Chao Ming, who teamed up with Ting Ing Hock to win gold in the men’s doubles TT8-9 category at the Para Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018. He also bagged bronze in the TT9 individual category.
“I’m proud of this privilege to represent my country ... not many people get to experience this.”
Besides Chao Ming, Malaysia will also be represented in the women’s singles para table tennis by Gloria Gracia Wong Sze.
Altogether, Malaysia will be represented by eight athletes across four para sports - athletics, powerlifting, table tennis and wheelchair basketball.
All eyes will be on reigning world and Paralympics powerlifting champion Bonnie Bunyau Gustin as he is the national contingent’s best prospect to become the first para athlete gold medallist.
The 23-year-old is also the current men’s 72kg world record holder (230kg) and will have added motivation as Malaysia’s joint-flagbearers together with squash player Aifa Azman.
In athletics, Afiq Ali Hanafiah will be out to defend his bronze medal won in the men’s 100m T12 event in Gold Coast four years ago.
PARA ATHLETES>
Para powerlifting
Athlete: Bonnie Bunyau Gustin (72kg)
Competition date: Aug 4
Venue: National Exhibition Centre
> Para athletics
Athlete: Afiq Ali Hanafiah (men’s 100m T11/T12)
Competition dates: Aug 2-7
Venue: Alexander Stadium
> Para table tennis
Competition dates: July 28-Aug 8
Athletes: Chee Chao Ming (men’s singles C8-10) and Gloria Gracia Wong Sze (women’s singles C6-10).
Venue: National Exhibition Centre
> Para wheelchair basketball
Competition dates: July 29-Aug 2
Athletes: Ahmad Nazri Hamzah, Mohd Atib Zakaria, Freday Tan and Mohd Rozaimi Johari.
Venue: Smithfield
