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Columbia Community Affairs newsletter May 16, 2001 Oscar Chow: A Young Man Leading the Pack By Arun Kristian Das To think that Oscar Chow almost went to Yale. But the Vancouver, Canada, native made the choice in 1999 to come to Columbia and join its first-year class and the tennis team. Coach Bid Goswami made Chow feel welcome during his recruiting trip to Columbia, which was also the young Canadian's first visit to New York City. Chow, now 20 and a Columbia College sophomore, says he picked Columbia over its New Haven, Conn., rival because of the academic reputation of the Ivy League's smallest college, the quality of Coach Goswami's tennis squad, and, of course, the allure of the city itself. "That's all I
needed basically," Chow says. "I met the coaches and players,
and I knew I wanted to come here." Chow's choice proved
to be a rewarding one. As a first-year, he was ranked the number five
singles player on the team, but last spring he won a crucial match against
Harvard and a deciding game against Princeton to help the Lions bring
home the Ivy League championship for the first time since 1994. His Ivy
record in 2000 stood at 7-0. Now a sophomore, Chow has grown as a player to secure the number one singles spot on the squad, and he serves as an inspiration to his teammates as they head down the road to repeating the Ivy championship. "Oscar is one
of the best players in the Ivy League," Goswami says. After last
year's successes, "he got so much confidence and came back this year
and won two individual championships. With a little luck and more hard
work, he can become one of the top five players in our region." Chow's talents have
caught the eye of many, especially those who closely follow the tennis
team's exploits. "I'm really impressed with the way Oscar has come
along," says Matt Hill, a sports writer for the Columbia Daily
Spectator. "He's worked his way up to be the number one singles
player as a sophomore, and that's quite an achievement." His accomplishments
have come after years of hard work and challenges. Chow first picked up
a tennis racket at age 7, began formal lessons at 9 and played his first
tournament at 11. By the time he was 14, Chow was ranked number two in
Canada's junior circuit. "That was kind
of like a breakthrough year for me," Chow says. "I realized
that 'Oh, I'm pretty good at this; I think I'll keep playing.' "
His father, a native
of Hong Kong, was Chow's early source of inspiration and drive. "He
has been the person who has always pushed me, and gently encouraged me
to continue with tennis in college," Chow says. His mother, originally
from Pinang, Malaysia, has also been a big fan. "They've come to
New York to watch a couple of my matches, so I'm very grateful for their
support." Competition to join
the professional ranks is tough, Chow acknowledges. College players don't
often have that chance because many professionals often turn pro younger
than Chow's 20 and never bother with college. Tennis is important, of
course, but Chow is at Columbia for the education. "If I keep making
rapid improvements, who knows what will happen?" Chow ponders. "I
could possibly play a couple of minor league, satellite tournaments when
I graduate, but I'm still looking to work." He'd like to secure employment
in New York City, and although he hasn't settled on a specific industry,
he's chosen a marketable major--economics. But Chow has plenty
of time to figure out what the future might hold. In the meantime, he
hopes to refine his tennis skills and help his team win tournaments, starting
with this year's Ivy title. His experiences on the squad will serve him
later in life. "I'm very gritty,
I'm going to fight for every point and never give up," Chow says. "Oscar is a great
leader," Spectator's Hill says. "Bid Goswami has done
a great job of recruiting new talent, and Oscar is a good young player
who will lead them for the next couple of years." Indeed, that prospect
is evident to Coach Goswami, who has more than enough faith in Chow to
fulfill that role. "He'll be the backbone of Columbia tennis,"
he says. In addition to his sports accomplishments, Chow is proud of his community service achievements--coaching at a camp for kids and raising $8,000 for children in Korea. ### |