By JARROD POTTER
Dandenong has a brilliant reason to stay up and watch the Olympic table tennis next month – one of its own has made the grade.
Heming Hu, 22, from Dandenong will pack his racquets and head to Rio as part of Australia’s table-tennis team ahead of his maiden Olympic Games.
“It’s always been a childhood dream to make the Olympic Games one day and this year there was a lot of stress coming into it but we got there in the end. It was really relieving and it was a dream come true,” Hu said.
“Started as a little kid playing soccer, bit of others, badminton, tennis – tried them all but in the end got here. My family played and in the end this was the one.
“To be selected into and make the Olympic team is not an easy task – few get the chance and being able to be there myself and be in that team is a huge accomplishment.
“Unlike the Commonwealth Games last time, which has five men and five women, which isn’t a whole lot for the whole population and the top players in Australia – to be three men and three women and be part of that group is a real honour.”
The Lyndale Primary School and Lyndale Secondary College alumnus has gone across the world with table tennis playing through Europe in Swedish and Danish leagues as well as to Glasgow for the last Commonwealth Games.
Hu’s overseas form hasn’t been good in recent months but he brought his best to the Australian tryouts.
“I won the Australian event and it set me a spot in the team.
“In the Oceania trials I came third out of the guys so it put me in a position where I can only play the team event, but in the end I still got there and there’s lots to look forward to.
“Lots of ups and downs and had a bit of an up in October last year, but then was in a downtime for a good few months and came into the Olympic qualifying after a huge downtime.
“I played extremely bad for myself in the Finland Open and came back home feeling pretty bad about myself, but the important one was to come and I peaked here for the right one so that was satisfying knowing that I could come through in first.”
But for now, he’s got another month until he heads away for the Games and is just head-down with practice making sure he’s prepared for whatever comes his way in Rio.
“Nothing but playing the game, practice all day and get ready,” Hu said.
“We’ll play one of the top four countries as it’s 16 of the world’s best, but we’ll just try to do what we can and any victory is a bonus.
“Mine (aim for Rio) is to go out there and take it one match at a time, one point at a time and just play my absolute best – and whatever happens happens.”
He wanted to thank his parents and family as well as coaches Aleks Jakubzcak and Mark Smythe for their support in helping his Olympic dream come to life.
