August 4, 2010
Hsing's London dream starts in Singapore
Ariel Hsing plays a table tennis match against billionaire investor Warren Buffett.
Photo By: USA Table Tennis
Courtesy of USOC / by Joanne C. Gerstner
There are many important steps in a process to be the best for emerging U.S. table tennis star Ariel Hsing who ulitmately hopes that process will lead her to the London 2012 Olympic Games.
One of those first steps for the 14 year-old wiff-waffer, is that she will represent the U.S. in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, set for Aug. 14-26 in Singapore. The Youth Olympic Games will feature an estimated 3,600 athletes between the ages of 14 and 18 in 26 sports.
Hsing will be one of those elite young athletes.
She’s successfully navigated a year-long process to qualify, with tryouts, world rankings and competition finishes taken into account. There are only 32 spots — one per country — in the tournament for the world’s top table tennis players born in 1994 or 1995.
“When I got the call that that I was going, all I could say was, ‘Oh wow! Very cool,’ ” Hsing said.
Hsing, who has been playing since she was 6, has been steadily rising in the world rankings. She is third in the world in the under-15 category, behind Bernadette Szocs of Romania and Yuting Gu of China. Hsing is also a member of the U.S. senior national team. And she’s even had a chance to take her talents against Warren Buffett, the Berkshire Hathaway chairman and CEO, in an exhibition match back in May.
“I had to do a lot, but it was all worth it,” said Hsing, a native of San Jose, Calif. “I am really, really excited to go to Singapore for the Youth Olympics."
Playing against other top competition in the Youth Olympic Games is another chance to gain match experience. But Hsing doesn’t plan on coming home empty handed.
“I want to win a medal, that’s my goal,” said Hsing, who will enter 10th grade in the fall. “I really feel good about the way I am preparing and practicing. I will do my best, and I hope I will win a medal.”
She will get a sneak-peek into the true Olympic experience in Singapore. There will be Opening and Closing Ceremonies, a flame-lighting ceremony, a parade of nations walking into the stadium, and the athletes live in an Olympic Village setting.
The table tennis competition will be held at Singapore Indoor Stadium, a pagoda-shaped arena that holds 13,000.
“I really don’t know what that’s going to be like, but I think it’s going to be really exciting,” Hsing said. “I’ve never lived in an Olympic Village before or seen things like that. I can’t wait to find out what happens.”
Hsing’s parents, Michael and Xian Hua, will also make the trip to take in the Youth Olympic Games.
Michael admits watching his daughter play is stressful, sometimes to an unbearable point.
“It is easier when I work as a coach with her, then I can watch,” Michael said. “But the other times, I cannot sit and watch with her mother. I cannot take it — it is nerve-wracking.”
Hsing’s coach, Rajul Sheth, has a structured plan to prepare his student for the Youth Olympic Games. He has assembled eight high-caliber players, each with a different playing style, to practice with Hsing.
The varied looks help familiarize her with what she will see in Singapore. There also will be other world-class guest coaches coming to the Indian Community Center in Milpitas, Calif., in the coming weeks, each charged with fine-tuning Hsing’s game.
A lot of video analysis is going on. Her coaches watch, replay, critique and suggest changes for her play, but they also check out the competition’s strategy and playing style. A sharp eye will be trained on the video, looking for any weaknesses for Hsing to exploit.
“We are going to expose her to as much as possible in order to best prepare her for the Youth Olympics tournament,” said Sheth, whom the U.S. Olympic Committee named the 2008 Developmental Coach of the Year. “It is very important to learn as much as you can about your opponents, so you can develop the game plans and practice them in advance. You learn how to best attack. We can have the other practice players here at the center play as one of those players against her.
“She is going to face very good competition in Singapore. The Chinese, Koreans and others will be there. But only one from each country. I feel very confident in Ariel’s abilities.”
Sheth likes the way Hsing has been practicing, working 22 hours per week at the center on her game. She has one day off per week, and she likes to spend it by relaxing and watching TV.
She tries to be a normal teen as much as possible. Hsing hangs out with her school friends. She’s not sure if they entirely understand the full scope of her table tennis career, but knows they are supportive of her.
“I think everybody knows I play table tennis, because I am going to tournaments and stuff,” Hsing said. “But I don’t think they understand how big the tournaments are or whatever, and that’s fine. It’s good to have things and friends outside of table tennis.”
Michael sees the world-class potential in his daughter, but stresses staying in the moment. The London 2012 Olympic Games begin two years from July 27, and Hsing has a lot of growing to do between now and then.
“We do not believe in talent,’’ Michael said. “We believe in hard work and the process. There is a lot of hard work that has to go into to becoming the best. You must follow the process. And that is what we are doing.”
Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Joanne C. Gerstner is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org.
| Download the latest Flash Player to view content. |