Looking ahead: Jin Wei will take part in the Asian Championships this month and the Sudirman Cup in May.
PETALING JAYA: Independent singles shuttler Goh Jin Wei will put her recent misfortune aside to rise again at two upcoming majors.
The 23-year-old will take part in the Asian Championships in Dubai from April 25-30 while the Sudirman Cup will be staged in Suzhou from May 14-21.
The 23-year-old was leading 5-0, 11-8 after taking the opener 21-12 against Yvonne Li of Germany in the first round of the All-England in Birmingham last month before starting to struggle due to stomach cramps.
She also walked out in the Swiss Open after trailing 4-13 against Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochu-wong due to exhaustion.
The defeats may have surprised the Malaysian fans but coach Nova Armada understood her miserable run.
Nova said Jin Wei had been well prepared but suffered a misfortune on her arrival in Birmingham on March 12 where her luggage, which included her medication and equipment, went missing.
Jin Wei, who underwent a colectomy surgery in 2019, is on medication and Nova said that she could only receive her luggage late and hardly had time to practise before her match against Yvonne.
“She came with a good preparation but a rare problem upset her chances in the beginning,” said Nova.
“Unfortunately, she lost her luggage on arrival and got it back only at night on March 13. She had no time to prepare.
“She also missed her medication as it was in the luggage and could not practise.
“The entire episode had upset her rhythm and despite trying, she suffered stomach problems.
“It’s not an excuse for her defeat but I just felt that I needed to explain what happened.
“It’s a rare occasion that her luggage went missing and we have to be prepared for these setbacks.
“However, she has recovered and will be focusing her attention on the Asian Championships next month and also the Sudirman Cup.”
Jin Wei cried foul last year after the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) did not register her for the Asian meet although she was the second-ranked Malaysian and will be relieved to be back in this event
And, barring health issues, she will be the player to turn to as Malaysia try to battle for a place in the semi-finals in the world mixed team event.
