At only 18 years old, Jiang is Goulburn's first state representative for many years. This achievement is all the more remarkable for the fact that he has only played table tennis for the last six years.

"It is a big deal for the club," Goulburn Table Tennis Club treasurer, Nicola Fraser, said.

"Goulburn used to be a strong table tennis club in the region, we had a lot of very strong juniors.

"Everyone is quite excited about the way Richie has progressed. He's only been playing five or six years, he wasn't one of those juniors with a bat in his hand since he was three years old."

The cause of Jiang's startling growth is clear upon watching him play. The young man is intensely passionate about table tennis, and punctuates points with shouts of elation or frustration depending on whether he won or lost.

Alongside his emotions, Jiang's talent is obvious. He possesses significant power, particularly in his forehand, and lightning-fast reflexes which allow him to return shots which would bypass most others.

With his significant natural ability, Jiang will pose a threat at the Nationals in July. However, he is unsure of what to expect from his opponents, and his goal is to go and play his best against whoever is in front of him.

"When I get there, maybe I'll get nervous," Jiang said.

"But it's really exciting, and I can't wait to stay in Caloundra [where the championships will take place] for ten days ... I'm going to use it as a learning opportunity.

"It's a big tournament, that's why I wasn't sure if I wanted to go in the first place, because it's a bit big, but I realised a big tournament could be good for me."

Jiang qualified for the National Championships by competing in a NSW Junior Top 10 event in which he placed third.

He almost earned first place, but lost a crucial match to the eventual winner 17-15 in the fifth set which resulted in third place on a countback.

Due to the rapidity of his rise and sheer volume of his talent, Fraser is confident Jiang could make a name for himself in table tennis.

"Richie's come a long way and he's progressed a lot in that six year period," she said.

"Living regionally as well he's probably been disadvantaged with his ability to progress compared to kids in the big cities.

"We are very excited and we realise he's got a lot of natural ability. He trains hard, he's up the table tennis centre at 6.30 in the mornings before school, and he's very hard on himself, he always wants to do better."

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