Back to you: France’s Enogat Roy returning a shot to Japan’s Koki Watanabe. — AFP
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s reputation as a badminton powerhouse has long inspired fans at home, but its impact stretches far beyond local borders and has even influenced rising players from abroad.
One of them is French men’s singles shuttler Enogat Roy, who caught the attention of many during his spirited match against Japan’s Koki Watanabe in a Group C tie at the Sudirman Cup in Xiamen, China, yesterday.
Although football remains the top sport in France, with the country having lifted two World Cup titles, Roy chose a different path. And it was Malaysia that played a pivotal role in nurturing his passion for badminton.
In an interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF), the 20-year-old shared that he spent part of his childhood in Malaysia while his parents were working there. It was during that time that he picked up a racquet and began his journey in the sport.
Ironically, when Roy first picked up a badminton racquet, Malaysia was hosting the Sudirman Cup in 2013.
“I started pretty late, only at the age of 10. I played badminton for two years in Malaysia before returning to France.
“I had a coach and trained with some regional players. But for me, badminton felt like the national sport in Malaysia. Everyone talked about it and watched it on television.
“My friends were all into it, and I naturally joined in. It was an amazing experience,” said Roy, who can still speak a bit of Malay.
Roy is now ranked among France’s top five men’s singles players, and he impressed in his Sudirman Cup debut after being called up in the absence of Alex Lanier, Toma Junior Popov and Christo Popov.
The young shuttler showed plenty of promise and came close to causing an upset against world No. 16 Koi Watanabe. He narrowly won the opening game before eventually going down 24-22, 6-21, 11-21. The defeat also marked the end of France’s campaign in Xiamen, as they fell 0-5 to Japan.
“Honestly, I thought I had a solid game plan today. Physically, there’s still a lot of work to be done, but now I know that I can match this level, at least for one game. The next step is to keep working hard, go back home, improve physically, and continue building from here.
“It has been a great experience overall. The tournament is well organised, and getting the chance to play against a top 15 player is something I’m really happy about,” he added.
