KUALA LUMPUR – Professional women’s singles player Goh Jin Wei has reluctantly accepted the decision to deny Olympic accreditation for her coach, Nova Armada, ahead of the Paris Games.
The Olympic debutant’s hesitant acceptance came after a 48-hour explanation by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh on the allocation of accreditation cards for Malaysia’s badminton squad heading to Paris, shared through a late evening social media post yesterday.
Hannah clarified that Armada also had commitments to assist two para-badminton players, Cheah Liek Hou and Muhammad Fareez Anuar, who are finalising their preparations at the National Sports Council in Bukit Jalil.
Additionally, Liek Hou will be competing to defend the gold medal in the SU5 category at the Paralympic Games in Paris from August 28 to September 8.
Despite the decision being final, Jin Wei expressed dissatisfaction because her Olympic debut aspirations had been planned with Armada since they began working together three years ago.
“To be honest, I am forced to accept the decision because I believe I am entitled to fight for what I deserve. I’ve already done my best, so I have nothing more to say.
“I have to adjust without my coach. Rexy is an experienced coach, and even an Olympic champion, but I would prefer to be guided by my own coach because we train together every day.
“We’ve trained together for three years, but in the end, he can’t go, and we’re definitely disappointed,” said Jin Wei.
As a result, national coaching director Rexy Mainaky will step in to support Jin Wei at the Paris Olympics.
“I haven’t met him (Rexy) yet, just contacted him by phone. I’m not sure of the arrangement yet since I just received this news, so I’m waiting for further instructions.
“I don’t believe this will affect my training and focus. I will continue to pursue what I’ve been striving for,” she added.
Jin Wei’s situation is not unique. During the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Malaysia’s badminton squad was also bolstered by two professional representatives, mixed doubles pair Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying and women’s singles player Soniia Cheah.
Similar to Jin Wei’s situation, Soniia also competed in Tokyo without her coach, Ong Ewe Hock, but received support from men’s singles coach Hendrawan on match days.
Even though she did not advance to the quarter-finals, Soniia’s performance in the group stage was commendable, defeating Hungary’s Laura Sarosi and pushing Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon to a deciding set before ultimately falling short. – June 28, 2024