Young champs
Jin Wei aims to qualify for Olympics and break into the top 10
No one gave Malaysia a ghost of a chance of winning the hockey gold at the Youth Olympic Games. But that’s exactly what Wallace Tan’s boys did, and they did it in superb fashion. They beat India 4-2 in the final at the Parque Polideportivo Roca Stadium on Sunday. Shuttler Goh Jin Wei, who won the girls’ singles gold on Saturday, returned home yesterday to a raucous welcome.
SEPANG: Newly-crowned Youth Olympic Games (YOG) champion Goh Jin Wei has made her desire crystal clear, that is to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Along the way, the 2015 world junior champion also aims to break into the world’s top 10.
For that to happen, the 18-year-old Jin Wei said the titles that she won at the junior level is now a thing of the past as she wants to replicate the success in many years to come.
“It’s a dream come true to win the Youth Olympic gold. This was my only chance and I won, so I’m really grateful,” said Jin Wei, now ranked 27th in the world.
“Winning all the major junior titles have whetted my appetite for more success. I want to keep on winning.
“But I don’t intend to get carried away and rest on my laurels because there are bigger and trickier challenges ahead of me.
“It’s different altogether in the senior competitions, so it’s back to zero for me and it will take a lot more hard work to become a winner at that level.
“But I strongly believe I’m moving in the right direction. It’s my goal to now try to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics while breaking into the world’s top 10 in two years time.
“I will not talk about winning an Olympic medal yet but becoming one of the world’s top 10 women’s singles shuttlers is definitely within reach.”
Jin Wei left Buenos Aires not only with a wonderful feat but plenty of sweet memories as well.
She particularly enjoyed playing in the ground-breaking innovative format of the badminton group competition – a relay team event.
Each tie between two teams consisted of 10 matches: two men’s singles, two women’s singles, two men’s doubles, two women’s doubles and two mixed doubles.
Each match was played in one game only and the shuttlers who collected 11 points first win. Players accumulated points until they reached a winning total of 110 points.
Playing for team Epilson, Jin Wei’s side lost narrowly 102-110 to team Omega in the quarter-finals.
“It was really fun. I have never experienced playing badminton in such a format,” said Jin Wei.
“I was fielded to play in women’s doubles and mixed doubles and I lost both the matches. I let the team down and felt bad. “But everyone enjoyed the experience, the camaraderie and I made lots of friends from all over the world because there were eight members in the team – four boys and four girls.”
Jin Wei returned home yesterday to a rousing reception from family members, sports fans, sports officials and junior shuttlers of Bukit Jalil Sports School.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia were represented by secretary Datuk Ng Chin Chai and development committee chairman David Wee.
But nothing matters more for Jin Wei who was thrilled to meet her beloved mother Loh Bee Sim.
Jin Wei, who received a big warm hug and a peck on the cheek from her biggest supporter, will shift her focus to winning her second girls’ singles title at the World Junior Championships in Canada next month.