Doo Hoi Kem
Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong, China
Doo Hoi Kem uses the shakehand grip that almost all top table tennis players use since it is the best option for the adaptive playing style and balance. The attacking tennis player employs offensive skills to force action as opposed to defensive baseline bashing, where players lean more towards consistent groundstrokes and counter with a passing shot.
Doo Hoi Kem was born on 27 November 1996 in Hong Kong. She recently went viral on Weibo after an interview with CCTV, stating that she wanted to take her Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games bronze to Tiananmen Square in Beijing for the flag-raising ceremony.
Quick Facts
Biography
Doo Hoi Kem has had to make some sacrifices in her quest to become one of the most recognizable table tennis players.
Early years
Doo Hoi Kem is an alumnus of Tseung Kwan O Catholic Primary School and Heep Yunn School. She joined the Hong Kong Institute of Sports at the age of 15 to train to be a full-time athlete after completing Form Three.
Doo’s parents were initially hesitant to allow their daughter to drop out of secondary school and join the Institute but they still supported her decision. This decision has proven to be worth it after she won a bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics. This is according to her father who also added that it is important for parents to have faith and encourage their children to achieve their goals. Her mother urged parents to improve communication with their children so they can have the courage to explore their specialties because each child has their own individual traits.
Career
First competitions
Doo Hoi Kem and LI Ching Wan competed and lost against Samara Elizabeta and Daniela Monteiro Dodean in the Women’s Doubles game of the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour, Qatar Open.
Doo also played against Samara Elizabeta in the Women’s Single event at the 2016 ITTF World Tour Hybiome Austrian Open. She later teamed up with Lee Ho Ching to defeat Daniela Monteiro Dodean and Samara Elizabeta in the quarter finals at the 2018 World Team Cup.
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Doo Hoi Kem: Table Tennis Major Wins
Doo Hoi Kem has played in several tournaments that we have listed below.
World Championship
Doo Hoi Kem played at the 2014 World Team Championships as part of the Hong Kong women’s team.
Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem won a bronze medal at the World Table Tennis Championships in 2015 after reaching the semifinals of the Mixed Doubles, a feat that their head coach Chan Kong-wah said would spur homegrown talent. Doo Hoi Kem equipment of choice is DHS Hurricane 3 National rubber that is a popular forehand rubber for notable table tennis players. She uses the brand for both her forehand and backhand rubbers. There are versatile paddles that are available with two kinds of customizable rubbers for your front-hand and backhand hits. These are considered the best ping pong paddles and they are reasonably priced.
Doo and Wong Chun Ting defeated Pletea Cristian and Samara Elizabeta in the Mixed Doubles event at the 2019 World Table Tennis Championships.
Doo Hoi Kem also beat Samara Elizabeta in the Women’s Singles at the 2022 WTT Champions event.
2014 Summer Youth Olympics
Doo Hoi Kem who was then ranked number one in the world among players under 18 years won bronze in the team event and silver in the Women’s Singles at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics held in Nanjing, China.
2016 Summer Olympics
Doo Hoi Kem, Tie Ya Na and Lee Ho Ching competed in the team event at the 2016 Summer Olympics but were defeated by Germany in the quarterfinals.
2020 Summer Olympics
Doo played in the Women’s Single event at the 2020 Summer Olympics and reached the quarterfinals but lost to Chen Meng. Doo Hoi Kem and her teammates Minnie Soo Wai Yam and Lee Ho Ching won a bronze medal in the Women’s Team event after defeating Germany. The Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong applauded the medalists for setting a new record because it was the second medal that Hong Kong had ever won in the Women’s Team event and the fourth one they had ever won at an Olympic Game.
Both Minnie Soo Wai Yam and Lee Ho Ching studied at Diocesan Girls’ School, but, like Doo, Lee dropped out of school after completing secondary three to train to focus on becoming a professional athlete.
Awards and Achievements
Doo Hoi Kem is a member of the All-China Youth Federation. In 2014, she won a Hong Kong Junior Sports Star award. She also won the Hong Kong Sports Star award for Team events in 2015 and 2017 as part of the Hong Kong National Table Tennis team in Mixed Doubles.
According to The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), Doo Hoi Kem was the recipient of the President’s Commendation Award as recognition for her distinguished performance in Leadership and sports.
Doo Hoi Kem Equipment
Videos
Final Thoughts
As her parents say, Doo Hoi Kem’s success has proven to be worth the compromises she has had to make in her career, including dropping out of school to pursue her dreams. She has earned numerous awards that include the President’s Commendation award.
Doo Hoi Kem recently reached the quarterfinals in the Women’s Singles at the 33rd ITTF-ATTU Asian Cup 2022 but lost to Hina Hayata who is a formidable opponent and the most successful player in the ITTF Challenge Series.