In pain: Goh Jin Wei falls after losing her match against India’s Malvika Bansod. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Independent women’s singles shuttler Goh Jin Wei bowed out in the first round of the Malaysian Open, but not without showing yet again that she is a strong-willed person.
Yesterday, the world No. 42 Jin Wei suffered a disappointing 15-21, 16-21 defeat to India’s world No. 31 Malvika Bansod at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
The match was particularly challenging for Jin Wei as she was struggling from stomach cramp.
Immediately after the match, Jin Wei headed to the changing room before being wheeled into the treatment room for medical attention.
Despite the loss, Jin Wei’s determination stood out as she pushed through the pain and played the match to completion.
“I could feel the pain while breathing during the match, but I tried to ignore it as it’s something common for me,” said Jin Wei, who will be turning 25 on Jan 30.
“The pain affected my mental strength and to be honest, my performance was bad.
“After the match, the stomach cramp became more intense.
The doctor checked everything and said there’s nothing to worry about.”
Last year, Jin Wei reached the second round where she went down to South Korea’s world No. 1 An Se-young.
Jin Wei’s journey in professional badminton has been anything but easy.
Since 2019, Jin Wei has been battling a stomach ailment that required a colectomy surgery, which forced her to take a break from badminton in 2021 to focus on recovery.
Despite adhering to a strict diet and special training programme, Jin Wei continues to struggle to regain the peak form that once made her a prodigy, earning her the girls’ singles title at the 2015 and 2018 World Junior Championships.
With Jin Wei’s early exit, Malaysia’s campaign in the women’s singles event has come to an end as she was the nation’s sole representative.
The men’s singles event also saw disappointment as Malaysia’s only other hope in the singles category Leong Jun Hao went down fighting 17-21, 21-16, 13-21 to China’s Lu Guangzu in the opening round on Tuesday.
