KUALA LUMPUR – National women’s singles player Goh Jin Wei can breathe a sigh of relief after securing a victory against South Africa’s Johanita Scholtz in their Group H match at the Paris Olympics earlier today.
Ranked 32nd in the world, Jin Wei was expected to overcome the 103rd-ranked Scholtz relatively easily.
However, Scholtz’s determination to keep her Olympic hopes alive gave the match an air of intensity.
Fortunately, the Penang-born player managed to claim the first set with a narrow 23-21 victory.
In the second set, Jin Wei gained confidence after receiving guidance from national coaching director Rexy Mainaky and men’s doubles coach Tan Bin Shen, who were assisting her on the sidelines in the absence of her regular coach, Nova Armada.
The former world junior champion then utilised all her skills to secure the win with a decisive 21-11 in the second set.
“I really don’t know what happened with the first three points. I think my excitement made me very nervous, my hand felt stiff, though not shaking, just I felt stiff.
“I honestly thought I might lose the first set and was already preparing for the second match. But, as I said, it was just a matter of luck,” said Jin Wei in a post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
Jin Wei now has a day to prepare before returning to the court to face Ga Eun on Wednesday, with the winner guaranteed a spot in the knockout stage.
The two players have met three times before, with South Korean Ga Eun winning two of those encounters.
Their most recent clash was at the 2022 Korea Open quarter-finals, where Ga Eun defeated Jin Wei with scores of 21-15, 21-18.
“I’m really looking forward to this match. The last time we played was a few years ago, and now, I have nothing to lose,” she added. – July 29, 2024