Saskatoon table tennis athlete becomes national champ

Saskatoon's Alayna Chan won the table tennis national title in women's doubles last week in Trois Rivières, Que.

"It feels pretty awesome. It was my first medal at the senior championship and it's really great it could be a gold medal," said Chan.

Chan said some people don't feel table tennis is a real sport.  

"To hear the words table tennis and athlete in the same sentence is very surprising to people."

As Saskatchewan's top table tennis athlete, Chan finds it hard to train in the province. She moved Belgium because there are more opportunities for her to compete. She plays about 10 matches a week.

Chan said table tennis may be the second most popular sport in the world, but it's not well known in Saskatchewan.

"They just think you play in your basement or with your grandparents or you know, beer pong," she said. "They don't see the high level sport, how quick and how fast and intense it can get."

Her next goal is to make it to Canada's national table tennis team. She has also been trying to raise the profile of the sport in Saskatchewan. When she's not training in Belgium, she has been coaching a beginner program in Saskatoon. 

"It's such a beneficial sport. You have to use not only so many parts of your body but also your brain. It helps you multitask. It is beneficial for kids not only in sports but also in academics."