Women singles coach Wong Tat Meng has heaped praises on teenage badminton star Goh Jin Wei, stating that she is far more matured for her age and is capable of achieving great success in the future.
Jin Wei claimed her first international title at the Belgian International Challenge on Saturday, upsetting 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Kirsty Gilmour of Scotland 21-15, 21-18 in a thrilling final.
And despite only being 15 years of age, Tat Meng believes the Penang born shuttler will be able to withstand the pressure due to her strong character.
“The expectations for Jin Wei have increased after Belgium, but I’m confident she would not let it stop her from pursuing her dreams.”
“As a coach, I’m responsible for guiding her on the right path, but besides that, she has been very lucky to have a supportive family.”
“The family was willing to relocate to Kuala Lumpur from Penang, making it convenient for Jin Wei to pursue her career in the sport with all the best facilities,” said Tat Meng, as quoted by Utusan.
Prior to her victory in Belgium, Jin Wei was included in the Podium Program, specialized to prepare elite athletes for international championships. She also became the youngest player in history to be included in the Singapore SEA Games squad.
When asked about her first international title, the 326th world ranked shuttler said: “Many of them in Belgium think that I’m great despite my young age but for me, there are more young players who perform better than me.”
“Nevertheless, this victory is a memorable start, and I’m looking forward to another good run.”
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