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<TABLE id=msgUN cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD id=msgUNsubj vAlign=top>Coffee Shop Talk - Ping Pongers glum during victory parade</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
Subscribe </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgF noWrap align=right width="1%">From: </TD><TD class=msgFname noWrap width="68%">Fuyuan Ai (kTuLu5) <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate noWrap align=right width="30%">Aug-26 7:10 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT noWrap align=right width="1%" height=20>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname noWrap width="68%">ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 20) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%" rowSpan=4> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>577.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>In the 1st place, why do silver medalists need a victory parade? What about Michael Phelps then? Carve his face onto Mt. Rushmore?
As we've already seen during the Olympics and demonstrated again during the parade, only Feng Tian Wei gives a damn. Even though she is FT, I wish her well.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#000000 colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width="100%" bgColor=#000000 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=font12w>WHY SO GLUM? </TD></TR><TR><TD>They've attained Singapore's greatest sporting achievement in 48 years.You wouldn't have guessed that from their expressions</TD></TR><TR><TD class=font12w><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=font12w>By Lim Say Heng</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=font12w><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=font12w>August 27, 2008</TD><TD width=30>
</TD><TD width=10> </TD><TD width=30>
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</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rightline vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=font12 vAlign=top align=left>LET'S just put the bad things aside and celebrate the silver medal moment for now.
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</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-2]SMILE, PLEASE! The Singapore table tennis team appear to have left their happiness in Beijing. <!--<COPYRIGHT>--><!--</COPYRIGHT>-->[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>That was the message that Team Singapore officials and players had for the media yesterday.
But apparently no one told the table tennis team.
From the moment they walked through the arrival gates of Changi Airport Terminal 3 at 3.21pm, the paddlers were mostly glum as they went on a three-hour victory parade around eastern and central Singapore.
Even the sight of schoolgirls shrieking Li Jiawei's name failed to elicit anything more than a weak smile from the world No. 6 at the airport.
It was clear that matters in the past week were still troubling the team as they boarded the open-top bus for the victory parade.
Gao Ning and Yang Zi sat quietly on their own at the front of the upper deck as the women players waved feebly to the adoring crowd.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width=150 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-2]NOT A HAPPY RIDE: Again, there was hardly a smile on the bus journey. <!--<COPYRIGHT>-->TNP PICTURES: GAVIN FOO, DAVID TAN <!--</COPYRIGHT>-->[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Wang Yuegu, Li and Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) president Lee Bee Wah stood in the centre, while Feng Tianwei, team manager Antony Lee and head coach Liu Guodong stood nearer to the rear.
There was hardly any interaction between the three groups as the bus started its one-hour journey through Chai Chee, City Hall and Orchard areas.
TNP photographer Gavin Foo was on the same bus as the team, and noted that the atmosphere was muted and the players seemed distracted.
Li spent most of her time chatting on the phone or sending text messages, while Wang - to her defence - was not feeling well.
Of the three, only Feng looked genuinely appreciative of the support of the 1,000-odd supporters gathered at various locations.
The 21-year-old smiled brightly at the crowd at the airport, and even threw her soft toy and garland to the screaming fans, prompting others to take her lead.
Support
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width=150 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>'I am very excited and very touched by the crowd,' she said.
'I am very thankful that everyone has shown us so much support.'
In contrast, the sailors - who took the same flight and were on the second bus - were relaxed and jovial, even though they won nothing at the Games.
When asked about the controversy at the welcome ceremony at Raffles City, the reply was standard issue - let's not talk about this now and bask in Singapore's moment of Olympic glory.
But Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan vowed to get to the bottom of the matter.
'Today is the day to celebrate, tomorrow I want everyone to rest and in due time...after all the facts have emerged, we can then decide how best to do this,' he said at the sidelines of the welcome ceremony.
He added: 'I'm very concerned with the way it seems to be spinning out of control because I don't want a situation where people say things or do things which destroy relationships and partnerships which we need in order to keep Team Singapore intact.
'I will give the people of Singapore my personal assurance that I would look into all the issues that come up.'
We can only keep our fingers crossed.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
As we've already seen during the Olympics and demonstrated again during the parade, only Feng Tian Wei gives a damn. Even though she is FT, I wish her well.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#000000 colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width="100%" bgColor=#000000 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=font12w>WHY SO GLUM? </TD></TR><TR><TD>They've attained Singapore's greatest sporting achievement in 48 years.You wouldn't have guessed that from their expressions</TD></TR><TR><TD class=font12w><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=font12w>By Lim Say Heng</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=font12w><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=font12w>August 27, 2008</TD><TD width=30>
</TD><TD width=10> </TD><TD width=30>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width=150 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
But apparently no one told the table tennis team.
From the moment they walked through the arrival gates of Changi Airport Terminal 3 at 3.21pm, the paddlers were mostly glum as they went on a three-hour victory parade around eastern and central Singapore.
Even the sight of schoolgirls shrieking Li Jiawei's name failed to elicit anything more than a weak smile from the world No. 6 at the airport.
It was clear that matters in the past week were still troubling the team as they boarded the open-top bus for the victory parade.
Gao Ning and Yang Zi sat quietly on their own at the front of the upper deck as the women players waved feebly to the adoring crowd.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width=150 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
There was hardly any interaction between the three groups as the bus started its one-hour journey through Chai Chee, City Hall and Orchard areas.
TNP photographer Gavin Foo was on the same bus as the team, and noted that the atmosphere was muted and the players seemed distracted.
Li spent most of her time chatting on the phone or sending text messages, while Wang - to her defence - was not feeling well.
Of the three, only Feng looked genuinely appreciative of the support of the 1,000-odd supporters gathered at various locations.
The 21-year-old smiled brightly at the crowd at the airport, and even threw her soft toy and garland to the screaming fans, prompting others to take her lead.
Support
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width=150 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
'I am very thankful that everyone has shown us so much support.'
In contrast, the sailors - who took the same flight and were on the second bus - were relaxed and jovial, even though they won nothing at the Games.
When asked about the controversy at the welcome ceremony at Raffles City, the reply was standard issue - let's not talk about this now and bask in Singapore's moment of Olympic glory.
But Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan vowed to get to the bottom of the matter.
'Today is the day to celebrate, tomorrow I want everyone to rest and in due time...after all the facts have emerged, we can then decide how best to do this,' he said at the sidelines of the welcome ceremony.
He added: 'I'm very concerned with the way it seems to be spinning out of control because I don't want a situation where people say things or do things which destroy relationships and partnerships which we need in order to keep Team Singapore intact.
'I will give the people of Singapore my personal assurance that I would look into all the issues that come up.'
We can only keep our fingers crossed.
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