PETALING JAYA: This year has been filled with twists and turns for independent mixed doubles shuttler Shevon Lai Jemie (pic) but she remains optimistic in anticipation of the upcoming season.
Shevon and her partner Goh Soon Huat had not been able to produce good results with early exits in 21 out of 26 tournaments that they have participated in this year.
Their best achievement was reaching the Swiss Open final but had to settle for silver after going down to unseeded pair Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin of China.
Beginning the year at seventh in the world rankings, the Malaysian duo’s inconsistent performances led to a slip in their rankings to 14th position.
The China Masters marked their final tournament of the year as they did not qualify for the World Tour Finals, and it concluded with a first-round exit as they were defeated 17-21, 20-22 by their long-standing rivals from Hong Kong in world No. 11 Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet. It was their fifth consecutive defeat to the Hong Kong pair.
Soon Huat-Shevon experienced more setbacks as they were dropped from the Road to Gold (RTG) programme along with another independent mixed doubles pair Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing due to a decline in their overall performance.
Shevon opened up on her feelings after a challenging year and believes that it has been a rewarding season, filled with valuable life lessons that have contributed to her growth.
“Stumbled, fell, got back up, did it all over again and again and again!,” said Shevon.
“2023 has been one of the toughest life lessons in my journey.
“But I’ve grown so much stronger and wiser from the silent battles, challenges that would have easily overwhelm me in the past.
“From learning to accept my mistakes, my partner, criticism and failure, to embracing wonderful memories of every return, I thank God for it all.
“To all who have stood by me, I can’t thank you enough for never stop believing in us.
“To those who turned their backs, I don’t expect you to understand nor accept us.
“That’s just life as it is.
“Looking forward to a new season with hope, loads of work while enjoying all the beautiful memories along the way.”
