Northern Zone’s Ava Tiong strikes double gold at Suksar table tennis

SRI AMAN (Feb 8): Camera-shy 16-year-old table tennis player Ava Tiong Yu Jie from Miri took her first steps towards emulating her idol, China’s world No.1 Sun Yingsha, after clinching two gold medals at the ongoing Sarawak Games (Suksar) here today.

Representing the Northern Zone, Ava emerged champion in the women’s singles and teamed up with her partner to secure the women’s doubles title at the Sri Aman Civic Centre.

Despite her quiet demeanour off the court, the Pei Min Middle School student showed composure and confidence in her matches to outplay her opponents and announce herself as one of Sarawak’s promising young paddlers.

“I am very happy with my win today. With this Suksar gold medal win, I hope to represent Sarawak in Sukma 2026 held in Selangor.

“I don’t want to think about representing Malaysia yet. For now, I am just grateful if I can represent Sarawak in Sukma.

“In table tennis, I like Sun Yingsha. I started playing table tennis when I was nine years old,” she said after her singles victory.

Ava admitted that she was nervous speaking to reporters but said her focus remains on improving her game and gaining more competitive experience.

Northern Zone women’s table tennis coach Chua Yeo Fong praised Ava’s commitment and work ethic, describing her as a player with strong potential.

“Ava is a very dedicated player who possesses all the abilities to be a great player. Her determination and hard work have yielded good results for herself and the Northern Zone table tennis team in Suksar too,” she said.

She added that Ava’s double gold medal achievement reflected the effectiveness of consistent training and discipline.

Suksar IV 2026, which runs from Feb 5 to 8, serves as a key platform for identifying athletes to represent Sarawak at the upcoming Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Selangor later this year.

With her breakthrough performance, Ava has strengthened her chances of being considered for the state squad as Sarawak continues its efforts to nurture the next generation of table tennis talents.