Koh Jia Yi confident for Youth Olympic Games badminton trial

Story contributed by Christopher Ong. Pictures by REDintern Vanessa Lim.

Yio Chu Kang Sports Hall, Saturday, November 29, 2008 – Koh Jia Yi celebrated winning the Boys Singles Under-17 category of the Cheers Age Group (Singles) Badminton Championships 2008 on Saturday, then found more cause for joy afterward.

For the 16-year-old from the Singapore Sports School had just found out that he would be invited to take part in the Youth Olympic Games selection trial in 2009, organized by the Singapore Badminton Association YOG committee.

This is as shuttlers who reach the semis of the Cheers Age Group (Singles) 2008, from 19 to 29 November, or the Pilot Pen Schools Individual Badminton Championships 2009 automatically make the cut for the trial.

Said a delighted Jia Yi: "I didn't know about this. Obviously, I'm going to train very hard, and if I do make the Youth Olympics, I will go all out to win."

Asked if he thought he could prove himself against the other trialists, and thus gain a chance to represent Singapore, he said: "I believe I can as long as I stay fit and continue to train like I'm doing now."

"Also, looking at my opponents in the semis, I'm quite confident that I can manage them (in the trials)."

Certainly, Jia Yi had every reason to be confident, given that he won despite nursing a sore throat and cough since the quarterfinal stage.

During Saturday's final, he played his Sports School junior Ngo Yi Chye and came up tops despite being hampered by a strain in his right leg during the final set.

The match saw both opponents playing a patient game, however, Jia Yi gained the ascendancy by attacking the left-handed Chye Ngo's weaker right side with some powerful smashes. Jia Yi won the 40-minute encounter 18-21, 21-14, 21-19.

It was also a day to remember for Jia Yi's Sports School teammate Terry Hee, who beat Shi Yu Qi of the Singapore Badminton School 15-21, 24-22, 21-18, in a titanic 55-minute encounter.

Having lost the first set, he showed plenty of dogged determination in the second. With the score at 20-18, Yu Qi hit a powerful shot that had Terry at full stretch. Though he just failed to tip the shutter over the net, he refused to let his head drop and came back strongly to win.

Said Terry: "In the first set, I made too many mistakes. I was under a lot of pressure to win since he's only 12 years old, and I'm 13."

He was proud of his comeback, and of his performance, saying: "I'm just 13 now, but I managed to win the Under-15!"

Like Jia Yi, Terry is certainly one to look out for in the future, but right now all he wants to do is get some rest, saying, "My legs are very, very tired. In fact, I nearly couldn't move during the final set."