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SINGAPORE: Singapore's women paddlers on Tuesday defeated South Korea in the team bronze medal match to clinch the Republic's second medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
The team of Li Jiawei, Wang Yuegu and Feng Tianwei defeated South Korea's Kim Kyung-ah, Seok Ha-jung and Dang Ye-seo 3-0.
The opening match was a showdown between Singapore's top paddler Feng and world number 5 Kim.
Feng started strongly taking the first two games 11-9, 11-8 in just under 20 minutes.
But Feng's impatience to put away the first match gave Kim a lifeline as she fought back to win the third game 11-4.
Feng was stretched to four match points before wrapping the final game 13-11 to win 3-1.
In the second match, Singapore veteran Li was up against South Korea's Seok.
Li drew first blood, storming to a 2-0 lead in 14 minutes.
She dropped the third game before finally overcoming Seok 11-5, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8 to win the second match 3-1.
In the crucial third match, Singapore's Li and Wang raced to a 2-0 lead against South Korean pair Seok and Dang in the doubles.
But Singapore faltered in the third game again, this time 6-11 to the Koreans.
Li and Wang made no mistake in the final game, wrapping up the match 11-9, 11-6, 6-11, 11-5 to win the bronze medal.
President of the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) Lee Bee Wah said: "After the previous loss (to Japan in the semi-finals), everyone was very disappointed. But then we talked to the players and forgot about that match.
"Because in any tournament, there will be a winner and a loser. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose but what is more important is to prepare the next one, and in fact our team prepared very well."
"I really want to thank all those who supported us," she added.
Soon Min Sin, honorary secretary of the STTA, said: "The Singapore team that we see today is a completely different team from the one that played yesterday when we lost to Japan.
"We're very happy that they are able to transform themselves in less than 24 hours, and we're very happy that the home team is able to get back to its top form."
Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing said the second bronze medal win in table tennis is a testimony to the effort of the entire Team Singapore.
"We would not have been able to achieve this without the support of all the coaches, the backroom staff and everybody who has played a part. And I must say a big thank you to all the boisterous Singapore supporters in the arena," Mr Chan said.
The first table tennis bronze medal was won by Feng in the women's singles event on August 1, the first individual Olympic medal for Singapore since the 1960 Rome Olympics.
Mr Chan, who is in London and caught all the action along with supporters, said the team performed beyond expectations.
"It is a great win. It was a tough match, we knew before the game that it was not going to be easy and our players were also feeling the stress and strains of the long competition," he said.
"So we are very happy the girls have performed beyond expectations by overcoming their injuries."
"We really want to thank Team Singapore and the Singapore table tennis team for uniting the nation and inspiring us on, and for giving us such a wonderful 47th birthday present for Singapore and Singaporeans," Mr Chan added.
Over in Singapore, loud cheers rang out from a coffeeshop in Yishun when fans saw the paddlers net the bronze.
The screening was organised by the Singapore Table Tennis Association to drum up support for the Singapore team.
- CNA/wm
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