Welsh tourney the last chance for Jin Wei to make cut for home tourney

PETALING JAYA: Goh Jin Wei is not giving up just yet although she only has a slim chance to compete in the Malaysian Open.

The independent women’s singles shuttler has made life harder for herself after losing to Thailand’s world No. 9 Pornpawee Chochuwong in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in Sydney on Friday.

She needs to do well in the Welsh International Championships in Cardiff from Nov 29-Dec 3 to have any chance of making the cut for the home tournament from Jan 10-15.

The lower-ranked tournament is her last stint this year and the 22-yearold has to win it to collect valuable ranking points and end the year on a high.

Jin Wei faces an uphill battle to qualify for the Malaysian Open as only the top 32 ranked players in the world will make the cut. She is now lying at 44th spot. She may get a chance if many top players choose to skip the tournaments.

Coach Nova Armada admitted that Jin Wei still had a lot of work to do to match the world’s top players.

“I felt that she was too cautious in her match against the Thai player,” said the Indonesian.

“She should have played more aggressively. Her opponent was also very calm and focused, and did not make many mistakes.

“We are working on getting her back to her top physical condition. She needs to increase her work in the gym and in training to improve her power and stamina. Her skills on court and mental strength are already good.

“Hopefully, she will put up a strong showing in the Welsh International.”

Jin Wei’s biggest goal after this is to make the cut for the 2024 Paris Olympics and will be looking to put herself in the best possible position ahead of the qualifying period next May.