PETALING JAYA: Men’s singles shuttler Eogene Ewe is keen to prove himself after his inclusion in the elite set-up in the national team.
Eogene, who was only promoted to the senior squad four months ago, has impressed the coaches enough to earn a spot in the elite team along with the likes of national No. 1 Ng Tze Yong, Leong Jun Hao, Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin and Justin Hoh.
Meanwhile, the back-up team consist of Jacky Kok, Shaqeem Eiman Shahyar, Ong Ken Yon, Ong Zhen Yi and Chua Kim Sheng.
“I’m thankful for this opportunity to be part of the elite team,” said Eogene, who will turn 19 next February.
“Some of my seniors are in the back-up team but in whichever team, it’s important to produce good results and maintain our performance and this is what I want to do.
“It’s not easy to make the transition from junior to senior level as I will be going up against more experienced players in tournaments.
“Players like Tze Yong are on a higher level and I have learned a lot from him while training together.
“For now, I am focusing on improving my physical level and my skills,” added Eogene.
The youngster’s best achievement this year was capturing the Malaysian Junior International Challenge title in September.
He had also finished runners-up in the German Junior Open in March and was part of the team that won bronze in the mixed team event at the World Junior Championships in October.
Eogene, who is currently ranked No. 319 in the world, is out to break into the top 100 next year.
“My target is to break into the top 100 first to be able to play in higher level tournaments,” said Eogene.
“I’m still young and this is the best time for me to develop my game without a lot of pressure.”
