KUALA LUMPUR – As many players from the Rio 2016 class gradually retire from the badminton arena, former world number one men’s doubles player, Goh V Shem, is determined to continue competing.
V Shem was part of Malaysia’s medal-winning contingent at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, securing a silver medal alongside his partner, Tan Wee Kiong.
At that time, Malaysia’s stellar badminton squad contributed three silver medals, with Datuk Lee Chong Wei and mixed doubles pair Goh Liu Ying-Chan Peng Soon adding to the total of four silvers and one bronze.
However, Chong Wei retired in 2019, followed by Liu Ying last year, while Peng Soon has announced that the ongoing Malaysia Masters will be his final international appearance.
Meanwhile, V Shem’s former partner, Wee Kiong, has hinted that this could be his last Malaysia Masters appearance as well.
Despite being 35 years old, V Shem shows no signs of imminent retirement.
“To be honest, I can still play, and I do want to play. After parting ways with Wee Kiong, I searched for a new partner, and now I’m with (Boon) Xin Yuan, hoping to elevate his game to a higher level,” V Shem said.
“I believe mental strength is crucial because I’ve competed at the highest level before, but now I have to start anew. So mental strength is essential, along with more training, finding compatibility with a new partner, and rebuilding confidence.
“I’ve been in the badminton world for over 20 years, and I still feel I can continue playing. I don’t want to waste my abilities. I’ve been at the top level before, and now I hope to help my partner get back to that level,” said V Shem.
V Shem and his partner, Xin Yuan, successfully advanced through the Malaysia Masters qualification round today by defeating the young Malaysian duo, Goh Boon Zhe-Beh Chun Meng, 21-17, 20-22, 21-18.
They are scheduled to face the 18th-ranked pair in the world, Rasmus Kjær-Frederik Søgaard from Denmark, in the first round tomorrow.
“Previously, we could only compete in smaller tournaments, and we were fortunate to compete here (Malaysia Masters) when many renowned players withdrew.
“Now that we’ve won and advanced to the first round, I hope we can continue our performance tomorrow,” V Shem concluded. – May 21, 2024