PETALING JAYA: Independent women’s singles shuttler Goh Jin Wei has received a big cash boost ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Penangite Jin Wei, who has to pay her own pay to Paris, has been given RM25,000 by the Penang Badminton Association (PBA) and the state government.
The 24-year-old, will be making her debut in the badminton competition from July 27-Aug 5 at the Adidas Arena in Porte de la Chapelle, received RM20,000 from PBA and RM5,000 from the state government.
Jin Wei was also among four athletes who received a total of RM300,000 in grants from the Youth and Sport Ministry before the Olympics.
World No. 33 Jin Wei, who will be Malaysia’s sole representative in the women’s singles in the Olympics, was thankful for the financial assistance and has vowed to give her all.
“I am deeply touched by the financial aid and I am thankful to them,” said Jin Wei at the Penang Badminton Hall in Bukit Dumbar yesterday.
“I hope to qualify for the last 16 and I will give my all during the tournament.”
PBA president Datuk Kah Kau Kiak wished Jin Wei all the best in the competition.
“She has fought very hard after going through medical problems. She stays firm in her dreams and aspirations,” said Kau Kiak.
“I hope this will spur our athletes to follow in her footsteps and never give up. PBA will always stay by her in the future. We wish her good results and all the best.”
In the draw released yesterday, Jin Wei has been given a tough task to reach the round of 16 after being pitted with South Korea’s world No. 17 Kim Ga-eun in Group H. South Africa’s Johanita Scholtz is the other player in the group.
Only the group winners can progress to the round of 16.
Ga-eun, who is Korea’s No. 2 in the women’s singles behind reigning world champion An Se-young will be the favourite to make it out of the group.
Based on the head-to-head records though, Jin Wei has a fighting chance as she has beaten the Korean once in their past two meetings in senior tournaments.
Jin Wei’s sole win over Ga-eun came in the 2019 German Open while the latter came out on top in the 2022 Korean Open.
