Woman of substance
Wong hails Goh’s determination in overcoming adversity
For a young player, singles shuttler Goh Jin Wei has handled fame and fall like a seasoned campaigner.
And her positive attitude has earned praises from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) coaching director Wong Choong Hann.
In fact, Choong Hann says the 20-year-old Jin Wei should be a shoo-in for a place in the Uber Cup Finals squad to Aarhus, Denmark, from Oct 3-11 based on her current form.
The 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games champion was ranked a career-high No. 25 before a stomach ailment halted her steady rise to the top last year. Before that, she had done well to reach the semi-finals of the Malaysian Masters and German Open by upsetting a few big names.
The two-time world junior champion had to undergo colectomy procedure and it ruled her out of the sport for seven months.
She is back in training but there are good and bad days. Choong Hann, nevertheless, is happy with her progress.
“At a young age, she had to deal with an overwhelming attention that came with fame. In her teens, she was already beating higher ranked players. Then, she started to beat world-class opponents,” said Choong Hann.
“But, everything fell apart after that due to her health issue.
“It’s not easy to rise from a fall but she has done considerably well at a young age. She had to make big decisions like whether to go for surgery or not and that’s not an easy call to make. Then, there is the recovery part and mental preparation.
“There are days when she is frustrated and questions her slow progress, which is only human. Then, there are days, when she is all gungho.
“We are giving her all the support we can to get her back to her normal routine. All I can say now is that I commend her bravery and commitment in training.”
The others back in training together with Jin Wei are Soniia Cheah, S. Kisona, Lee Ying Ying, Eoon Qi Xuan and K. Letshanaa while the doubles players are Chow Mei Kuan, Lee Meng Yean, Vivian Hoo, Yap Cheng Wen, Pearly Tan Koong Le, M. Thinaah, Yap Ling, Teo Mei Xing, Anna Cheong and Toh Ee Wei.
Only four women’s singles and three pairs will be named for the Uber Cup Finals.
“Jin Wei is still a good player and has the experience playing in major events. She still is one of the stronger candidates for the Finals,” said Choong Hann, who is waiting for the Badminton World Federation to confirm a date to submit entry by names for the Uber Cup.