Tin-Tin Ho: "Competing in major tournaments is always special"

Tin-Tin, now 23, represented her country in four events in Glasgow and won a mixed doubles silver medal alongside Liam Pitchford, one of just many stand-out moments in her promising career so far. 

“Getting my first medal in mixed doubles at Glasgow 2014 was quite a big moment,” said Tin-Tin. “I wasn’t expecting to get to the final of the mixed doubles as that was my first Games and I was quite young as well. It was all quite new to me. 

“Winning my first national senior title, that was big for me as well. It took a lot of time for me to try to win that title, as a lot of times I got to the semis, finals. My dad was coaching me, and the first time I won he was there - that was nice. 

“The Olympics stands out as well. Managing to qualify for that was big. It wasn’t about winning anything, it was more about qualifying, that was the big moment. That was a dream since I was young. To go to Tokyo and play as a part of Team GB…that was pretty cool. 

“Just competing at World Championships and things like that is pretty incredible. I haven’t always won medals but hopefully I will in the future. Competing in major tournaments like that is always special.” 

Future success at world and Olympic level may be a long-term target, but this summer presents the golden opportunity of a home Commonwealth Games which she has secured selection for. Having also gone to Gold Coast four years ago following her debut in Glasgow, the Londoner is relishing the chance to win more medals.  

Tin-Tin said: “We have the Commonwealths coming up in Birmingham. That’s obviously a very big goal, to try and get more medals. It adds a lot more excitement, as hopefully my parents and family can come and watch. I think having a home crowd is really cool. 

“In Glasgow, that was effectively a home crowd as well. That was a really good atmosphere. I think any crowd is a really good atmosphere as the Gold Coast was also really good - even if the crowd were against us, people were there, watching table tennis and really enjoying it. 

“Another big moment in my career was winning silver and bronze at the last Commonwealths in Gold Coast so I’m hoping to build on that….to get a different colour as well would be pretty cool!” 

Tin-Tin wants to continue building her ranking and achieve consistent results at the world’s biggest events, though right now there is a different priority. She is currently studying medicine at the University of Nottingham and undergoing work experience….and she admits that has had an impact on her training. 

“The last few years were OK….but I recently started my placements so it’s long days and quite hard to get time off and compete in tournaments,” she said. “Hopefully I can play a tournament before Commonwealths. I’m still trying to get the hang of it a little bit, just getting used to working efficiently and not training, and not worrying if you can’t train as much as you normally would do.  

“That’s probably the most important part. I’ve trained a lot but I don’t have to keep training loads, I just have to mentally be OK with that as well.” 

Mental health is in fact a matter Tin-Tin is passionate about, and an area she is considering pursuing once her degree - and table tennis career - is over. 

“I’m quite interested in the mental health side, so maybe psychiatry but I haven’t done my placement for it,” she said. “That’s just an interest but we’ll have to see. I’m very open to anything. I think being involved in sport has opened that mental side of things. I definitely do have an interest in that.” 

Commonwealth Games England has appointed SportsAid to lead on the development, management and operational delivery of Team England Futures at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The programme, supported by Sport England, will reinforce the importance of the Commonwealth Games, particularly one hosted on home soil, as a developmental opportunity within the talent and performance pathway! 

PHOTO CREDIT - TABLE TENNIS ENGLAND