From VIKNESWARAN RAMAN
PARIS, July 29 (Bernama) -- Overwhelmed former junior world champion, Goh Jin Wei marked her 2024 Paris Olympics debut with a win against two-time African Games champion Johanita Scholtz in a women’s singles Group H match, here today.
After having fought closely against the world number 103 Scholtz in the first set, the 24-year-old managed to regain her rhythm in the second game to notch a 23-21, 21-11 victory at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena here.
However, Jin Wei, the world number 32, who wasn’t in her best shape during the match today, must pull up her socks as she will be facing a greater challenge against the world number 17, Kim Ga Eun from South Korea on Wednesday.
“I was nervous and very tense, don’t know what happened, almost shaking...like I have not been playing beforei. Luckily, I got back my rhytm in the second game to register the win.
“But I think a lot of work to do in the second match, like improving the court control. Crowd here is amazing, they support everyone no matter who,” she said after her victory under the guidance of Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) Coaching Director Rexy Mainaky and men’s doubles coach Tan Bin Shen, today.
The professional player’s coach Nova Armada couldn’t accompany her to Paris 2024 due to limited accreditations to the national contingent.
Jin Wei, the 2015 and 2018 world junior champion, has yet to gain her real form since undergoing colectomy surgery in 2019 due to a stomach ailment.
Based on records, Jin Wei only won once in three matches against Ga Uen, while the last match between the two at bthe 2022 Korean Open was in favour of the Korean.
Only the group winner will advance to the knockout stage.
-- BERNAMA
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