Hong Kong hero dreaming of Tian'anmen medal moment

HONG KONG－"I want to visit Tian'anmen after the Tokyo Olympics", Doo Hoi-kem said after winning table tennis team bronze for Hong Kong, China at the Games earlier this month.

Her comments quickly went viral on social media, with the netizens of Weibo greeting the 24-year-old with open arms－"No problem", "Welcome to Beijing".

"When I got up the next day, my friends told me about that, and I was really surprised," Doo told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

"The fans on Weibo are from all over the country, they welcomed me to visit their hometowns, it made me happy."

Doo said she has been to many mainland cities and has visited Tian'anmen Square several times.

"But I still expect to visit Tian'anmen Square again, especially to watch the flag-raising ceremony in the morning, with my medal," she said.

Hong Kong defeated Germany to clinch a bronze in the women's team event, with the mainland team claiming gold ahead of Japan.

The medal was among a record total of six for Hong Kong at an Olympics.

Doo said she felt proud to stand on the podium and sing the national anthem as the flags of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region were hoisted simultaneously－a situation she had experienced at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014, when she took silver in the women's singles and bronze in the team event.

"From the Nanjing Youth Olympics to the Tokyo Olympics, from a youth to an adult, it's rewarding to see how I've grown," she said.

In Tokyo, Doo participated in the singles, mixed doubles and team events.

She and her playing partner Wong Chun-ting were stunned by French pair Emmanuel Lebesson and Yuan Jianan in the mixed doubles, and Doo admitted she was feeling the pressure at that point.

"I burst into tears after the mixed doubles. We put a great deal into it, but the result was a shock to the system. My coach encouraged me, and then I adjusted my state of my mind. It's a real treasure knowing how to deal with pressure."

Five years ago at the Rio Olympics, Doo was utterly outclassed against favorite Ding Ning, managing just 16 points over the course of a four-set defeat.

She feared another thrashing when she came up against top seed Chen Meng in the singles quarterfinals in Tokyo.

However, this time, far from capitulating, Doo almost produced a massive shock when she raced into a two-set lead.

"When I was up by two sets, Team China's coach Liu Guoliang spoke loudly to Chen from the stands. So without spectators, I heard every word he said," Doo laughed.

Despite ultimately being defeated by Chen, Doo was still satisfied with her performance.

"After all, Team China is hard to beat," she reasoned.

"Things went smoothly after that in the team event. Over the whole campaign, I rated myself between 80 and 90 percent. We spent eight months training on the mainland. It was not in vain.

"The medal boosted my confidence. As for my dream, I often wanted to fight for an Olympic medal. To be honest, I didn't believe I could make it, but it came true. So I need to seize this moment and work harder for a better performance in Paris in three years' time."

Away from the table, Doo is a proud member of the All-China Youth Federation.

"It is an honor, but also a responsibility. Every time I attended the meetings, I always met elite people from all walks of life, from whom I learned a lot," she said.

"I hope I can produce more outstanding performances on the court to bring positivity to others."

Xinhua