Well earned: Japan’s mixed doubles pair Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino of Japan posing with their bronze medlas at the Paris Olympics recently.
PETALING JAYA: It will be an emotional outing for Jeremy Gan and his charges Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino in the ongoing Japan Open in Yokohama.
It will be the top mixed pair’s last tournament before they go separate way s with different partners.
Since former Malaysian international Jeremy took charge as coach of the mixed pair in 2018, the 27-year-old Watanabe and Higashino, 28, have done well to win many titles.
In fact, the duo had ruled as Japan’s top pair for the last seven years.
Jeremy is proud of their achievements but believed it was time for them to move on.
Watanabe is expected to carry on playing in the mixed doubles with a new and younger partner Maya Taguchi, 18, while Higashino will play in the women’s doubles with Ayako Sakuramoto.
“It has been seven wonderful years of coaching them. I’m happy to see all their achievements since 2018,” said Jeremy.
Former Malaysian international Jeremy Gan took charge as coach of the duo in 2018, and they’ve done well to win many titles.
“The unforgettable achievements are winning the first two All-England titles (2018, 2019) and silver twice at the World Championships (2021 and 2022). This year’s Paris Olympics will always be special as they won their second bronze medal on this big stage, but this time, they went through so many tough challenges to win it.
“They will still play on with different partners but we will surely cherish all they have done for Japan all these years. Hopefully, they will end with a strong showing in this home tournament, which is the last as a pair.’’
Are there anyone ready to take over their spots and keep the tradition going?
There are two pairs, said Jeremy, as he would be focusing on world No. 19 Hiroki Midorikawa-Natsu Saito and world No. 31 Hiroki Nishi-Akari Sato to continue the legacy of Watanabe-Higashino.
On Jeremy’s status in Japan, he said: “I have a contract that runs until March next year... I’m still thinking about my future plan.
Whether he stays on or moves to a newer challenge, Jeremy is set to be an asset as a coach as he has a knack of producing world-class players.
Meanwhile yesterday, top seeds Watanabe-Higashino showed their class when they defeated Presley Smith-Allison Lee of the United States 21-7, 21-3 to advance to the second round.
