With Nationals just around the corner, we decided to have a chat to a few of our Victorian State team players about how they got started in table tennis, some of their achievements, their goals for 2020 and more.

15 year old HWATT player Chermaine Quah will be heading to the Nationals as part of the women’s C team with Michelle Wu and Parleen Kaur.

Quah began playing table tennis when she was seven after her father introduced her to the sport.

“My father introduced me to table tennis when I was 7 years old and living in Malaysia,” said Quah.

“When I moved to Melbourne in 2011, I joined a local club. In 2012, I joined Health Wellness and Table Tennis (HWATT) and have been with them ever since.

“I began playing Victorian junior competitions in 2013, and played in my first Nationals in 2014, as a part of the Presidents team. Ever since, I have played in the Junior Nationals as a part of the Victorian team.”

She has represented Victoria six times at the Junior National Championships and twice at the Senior Nationals. A very impressive achievement for someone who has not even had her 16^th birthday yet.

Her achievements do not stop there, in 2016 Chermaine won the Australian and Oceania Hopes Challenge which qualified her for the World Hopes Week and Challenge, she also won the 2019 Oceania Cadet Singles and qualified for the 2019 World Cadet Challenge.

“My favourite table tennis memory was attending the World Hopes Challenge as it was my first major international competition and I enjoyed meeting new people and training with them.” She said.

With her excellent amount of talent and love for the sport of table tennis we are sure Chermaine will have some brilliant results in the future, but for now, her goals are set on the Nationals.

“My goals for 2020 is to enter the semi-final and further in the Under 18 Girl's Singles at the Junior Nationals.” She said.

Chermaine is also one of the inaugural recipients of the TTV S-Trend Junior Scholarship. All of us here at Table Tennis Victoria wish Chermaine all the best and hope she can bring home a medal for Victoria in April.