Chew Jit Thye (left), Chung Hong Tsin (right)
PETALING JAYA: It was not a golden swansong for para shuttler Chung Hong Tsin at the Indonesian Open, but he and his partner Chew Jit Thye are not crying over spilled milk.
Hong Tsin-Jit Thye had to settle for another silver this year after going down 10-21, 11-21 to reigning champions Supriadi Supriadi-Agung Widodo of Indonesia in a one-sided final of the WH1-WH2 category (wheelchair-severe impairment, wheelchair-minor impairment) in Solo yesterday.
The Malaysian duo had held onto the hope of capturing their first title together, but their hopes were dashed when Hong Tsin was struck down with fever and sore throat.
It was Hong Tsin’s final competitive appearance as he had planned to retire due to health issues.
Jit Thye said it was still a commendable achievement.
“It was unfortunate that my partner had fever and sore throat, which hindered our performance,” said Jit Thye.
“We were lacking the aggression and our opponents were consistently targeting my partner, knowing that he was not in his best condition.
“It was too bad that I couldn’t cover for him on the court and bring out our best performance.
“Winning the silver medal is still an accomplishment and we can take pride in.”
Jit Thye said he would cherish his memories with Hong Tsin.
“We started our journey without a world ranking but now, we’re ranked No. 26,” said Jit Thye.
“I was initially reluctant about his retirement but he was determined due to his health condition.
“Our partnership was not always smooth-sailing – we had disagreements, scolded each other, and even shed tears together.
“We were often just one step away from winning a title, but we have no regrets in our partnership.”
