Region's top young paddlers to play here

Some of the top young table tennis talents from the region will converge at Toa Payoh Sports Hall next week, when Singapore plays host to the 23rd South-east Asian Junior & Cadet Table Tennis Championships.

From next Tuesday to Friday, young paddlers from Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore will fight it out among themselves for top honours.

Singapore have a proud reputation in this competition.

At the last edition in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, last year, Singapore won all four team events and the cadet boys' and cadet girls' singles titles.

Singapore also won in the junior boys' doubles, junior mixed doubles and the cadet boys' doubles categories.

At stake will be more than just trophies though.

The gold and silver medallists​ in the team events will also qualify for the junior team event in the Asian Junior Table Tennis Championship 2017, which will be held from June 29 to July 4 in South​ Korea.

Singapore last hosted the South-east Asian Junior & Cadet Table Tennis Championship, which is sanctioned by the Southeast Asian Table Tennis Associations, in 2002.

The draws will take place on Monday (team events) and Tuesday (individual events).

Admission to the tournament is free.

Matches will also be shown "live" on the Singapore Table Tennis Association's YouTube channel (youtube.com/SingaporeTableTennisAssociation) and on the association's Facebook page.