Goh for it in 2020
Shuttler Jin Wei eyes podium spot at Tokyo Olympics
After reclaiming the World Junior Championships girls’ singles title in Markham, Canada, Goh Jin Wei believes she has what it takes to become Malaysia’s first-ever Olympic medal winner in women’s singles in Tokyo 2020. “Anything is possible,” said Jin Wei. “I think I’ll be able to fight (for a medal) in 2020 ... there’s no need to wait until 2024 (Paris Olympics). I’ll be at my best age then. Time is gold and I’ll wait for no one. I’ll fight for it.”
SEPANG: Winning breeds confidence. And fresh from her second world junior success, national women’s singles ace Goh Jin Wei now eyes a podium spot at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
This is in stark contrast to what the 18-year-old said last month that she merely intends to qualify for the Olympics as one of the world’s top 10 players.
But reclaiming the World Junior Championships (WJC) girls’ singles title in Markham, Canada – a title she last won three years ago – has made her more ambitious.
Moments after arriving at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) yesterday, a spirited Jin Wei told the media that she has what it takes to become the nation’s first-ever Olympic medal winner in women’s singles in Tokyo.
“Anything is possible,” said Jin Wei, when asked if she sees herself as a medal contender come Tokyo 2020.
“I think I’ll be able to fight (for medal) in 2020 ... there’s no need to wait until 2024 (Paris Olympics).
“I’ll be at my best age then. Time is gold and I’ll wait for no one. I’ll fight for it.”
Jin Wei was also pleased with the fact that her teammates Eoon Qi Xuan, Pearly Tan Koong Le and Toh Ee Wei did well in Markham, saying that it’s a sign of better things to come from the women’s shuttlers – often viewed as weak links in the national set-up.
Pearly-Ee Wei claimed Malaysia’s first-ever silver in the girls’ doubles in the world junior meet while unseeded Qi Xuan made it as far as the quarter-finals in the girls’ singles.
“I saw Pearly and Ee Wei in action, they were really good – not only in the girls’ doubles but in the mixed doubles too,” she explained.
“I believe we’re going to have a very strong Uber Cup team in the future!”
Jin Wei, Pearly-Ee Wei and the entire squad returned home yesterday to a rousing reception from family members, sports fans, Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) officials and junior shuttlers of the Bukit Jalil Sports School.
Also present were Jin Wei’s mother Loh Bee Sim and sister Jin Mei, and BAM secretary Datuk Ng Chin Chai.
Besides Jin Wei’s gold and PearlyEe Wei’s silver, the team’s decent performance also saw several others making it to the last eight including Ng Tze Yong and Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin in the boys’ singles, and Chia Wei Jie-Ee Wei and Pearly-Choong Hon Jian in the mixed doubles.
Chin Chai hailed the team’s display as one of the best in WJC history.
“With the exception of the boys’ doubles, we had seven representatives who reached at least the quarter-finals.
“That’s a very good achievement,” said Chin Chai.
He also announced that all the 18-and-above WJC players will be promoted automatically to the senior team and will commence their training next Monday.
“All the players will be under a three-month probation except for Jin Wei and Pearly-Ee Wei,” he said.
“The promising girls’ doubles pair can expect to be sent to at least 10 tournaments in their first senior year in 2019.
“Aidil is the only non-BJSS player and he will be joining us from his professional club (Sports Affairs Academy).”