October 1st, 2009

Pradeeban Peter-Paul and Mo Zhang make up Team Canada at the Jeux de la Francophonie currently going on in Beirut, Lebanon.

The team survived some minor scares in the early rounds of the team competition; however, the first real test would be Belgium in the quarter-finals. The Belgian team took the early lead with Benjamin Rogiers winning against Peter-Paul in the opening match. Then Mo Zhang easily evened the score against Laurence Junker and the deciding doubles was a one-sided affair for the Canadians.

In the semi-finals Peter-Paul set the tone with win against France’s young star Thomas Le Breton – Canada 1-France 0. France tied the match with Audrey Mattenet’s win over Mo Zhang; in the deciding doubles the Canadians prevailed, booking a place in the finals against Vietnam.

The finals saw a see-saw battle between the two teams with Vietnam taking the lead - Kien Doan defeated Peter-Paul 3-2 – and Mo Zhang tying the match for Canada with a 3-1win over Hoang Mai.

The Vietnamese had the better start in the doubles winning the first two games 11-6, 11-8. Good coaching advice helped the Canadians turn the match around closing out the match 11-2, 11-9, 11-8 and claiming the GOLD in the team competition.