The Freshman Cup has begun! On the evening of October 4 in Room SG322 of the Table Tennis Hall, the 112th academic year's Table Tennis Freshman Cup and Open Tournament took place. This event marks the first competition in this year's Freshman Cup for various sports, with matches held in the Freshman Men's Singles and Open Men's Singles categories. Due to the influence of a typhoon, the semi-finals had been postponed to October 11th to determine the winners. In the end, Yu-Tang Kao, a freshman from the AI department secured the championship in the Freshman Men's Singles and the runner-up position in the Open Men's Singles. Meanwhile, Bo-Hsiang Hsu, a first-year graduate student in the Information Management program, claimed the championship in the Open Men's Singles category.

Yu-Tang Kao, who delivered an impressive performance, has been playing table tennis since elementary school and boasts a wealth of experience. He expressed his happiness at achieving good results in this competition. Despite facing a minor physical ailment that prevented him from showcasing his full potential in this competition, he remains determined to put in more effort in both practice and future competitions. He hopes to reach and exhibit his expected level of performance in the upcoming events.

Bo-Shiang Hsu explained that he has been consistently practicing since his freshman year, accumulating five years of experience. While he may not have the same physical stamina as the younger students, he believes that his extensive experience can help him maximize his abilities. He also took the opportunity to encourage his fellow students, emphasizing that one's mindset determines their level of performance. He advised them to make thorough preparations before each match and to never give up until the very last moment.

Hsin-Ching Li, Assistant Professor from the Physical Education Office and coach of the table tennis team mentioned that this year's freshmen have a higher level of skills. However, the senior students also performed extraordinarily well, making it challenging to predict the outcomes. The only regrettable aspect of this year's New Student Cup was the low number of female participants. Only the men's division was able to complete the competition. She hopes that in the future, more people will develop an interest in table tennis, and she welcomes female students who are interested in table tennis to join the table tennis team.

SDGs #SDG03 Good Health and Well-Being #SDG04 Quality Education #SDG17 Partnerships for the Goals

---