Chen Min-hsin of Taiwan wins gold

TOP OF TABLE TENNIS: The paddler said that she tried to focus on one point at a time, while her coach praised her ability to adjust to the tactics of her opponent

Taiwanese table tennis player Chen Min-hsin on Thursday won the women’s singles title at the Dakar Youth Olympic Games, securing Taiwan’s first-ever table tennis gold medal at the Youth Olympics.

Chen, 17, defeated Singapore’s Loy Ming Ying in the gold-medal match at the Dakar Expo Center.

Chen struggled in the fourth game after taking a 2-1 lead, but regained control in the fifth, converting her third game point to take a 3-2 lead.

Taiwan’s Chen Min-hsin returns during her women’s singles table tennis gold-medal match against Loy Ming Ying of Singapore at the Dakar Expo Center at the Youth Olympic Games on Thursday.

Photo: CNA via Taiwan’s delegation to the Youth Olympic Games

The two players were tied at 10-10 in the sixth game before Chen won the next two points to clinch the gold medal.

The victory marked Taiwan’s first table tennis gold medal at the Youth Olympics and the nation’s fourth medal in the sport since it debuted at the Games in 2010.

Chen said that the final was difficult, but she tried to maintain a steady pace and focus on one point at a time.

Taiwan’s Chen Min-hsin holds her gold medal after beating Loy Ming Ying of Singapore in the women’s singles table tennis final at the Dakar Expo Center at the Youth Olympic Games on Thursday.

Photo: CNA via Taiwan’s delegation to the Youth Olympic Games

She also kept reminding herself to push through despite feeling exhausted.

Her coach, Huang Sheng-sheng, said that Loy, the tournament’s 10th seed, played high-quality shots, but Chen adjusted her tactics and disrupted her opponent’s rhythm.

The Youth Olympic Games is an international sporting event organized by the International Olympic Committee for athletes generally aged 14 to 17.

After 52 of 153 events in Senegal, Taiwan was 10th on the medals list with one gold, two silvers and two bronzes, the Games Web site showed.

Japan was on top with eight gold, two silver and four bronze medals, it showed.