This years edition of the World Junior Championships event was hosted in Korat, Thailand, the 17th staging of the tournament and the fifth time in Asia. The Canadians among the many athletes were Sophie Gauthier (Québec), Joyce Xu (Ontario), Benita Zhou (British Columbia), Kelly Fei Zhao (Ontario) and coach May Tong (Ontario). Here a small report from coach May.
The World Junior Championship is an event for young athletes to demonstrate their skills on this international platform. It is a eye-opening experience for our players as it stimulates our players to move forward. We met young athletes from other countries and they have received more training prior to this competition. In addition, they have more opportunities to participate in the international competitions. Hence, it is a great opportunity for our players to exchange their skills with them.
The goal in participating this event is to educate the young players that through sport, we can build a peaceful and better world in the absence of discriminating any diversity. Also, through sports, we can enhance fair play among the athletes. It is undeniable that our young players have achieved this by showing good team spirit.
They are hard working, intelligent players and continue to strive even though they have limited time. They participated with good spirit and didn’t neglect their school work. In the team event, they won Australia and Nigeria. If higher focus is put on their physical and mental training, they will excel and perform well in the future international competitions. I am proud of their overall performance and dedication in this sport.
