PETALING JAYA: Professional men’s doubles shuttler Ong Yew Sin is on cloud nine after tying the knot with his sweetheart, former Japanese women’s singles ace Aya Ohori.
The couple were officially married in a civil ceremony at the National Registration Department (JPN) in Melaka on Thursday.
The 2021 World Championships bronze medallist Yew Sin shared that he was warmly welcomed by his in-laws, with his father-in-law Hitoshi Ohori, who is also the head coach of the Japanese national team, giving his blessing to the union.
“Thankfully, everything went smoothly, though the language barrier did make things a bit tricky,” said Yew Sin.
“I wouldn’t say it was easy or difficult, but I was definitely nervous when I decided to propose.”
Yew Sin said he would continue to be based in Malaysia to focus on his career with men’s doubles partner Teo Ee Yi, while Ohori may travel back and forth to Japan if any job opportunities come her way.
Ohori retired from international competition at the end of last year. Earlier this year, she took up a journalism role covering the Sudirman Cup in Xiamen in April.
“After the wedding, I’ll still be based here most of the time as I want to continue playing for a few more years. As for her, she might be flying back to Japan for some work opportunities.”
Yew Sin’s wedding ceremony took place at the Marriage and Divorce Division of the JPN, where the pair exchanged vows before assistant registrar Nur Fatehah Razali, witnessed by members of both families.
Yew Sin admitted that the process wasn’t entirely smooth sailing as he had to handle a fair amount of paperwork since his wife is not a Malaysian citizen.
Still, he was grateful for the support he received, which helped ease the process.
“It was a bit of a headache, not because of anything major, but simply because this was something new for me.
“I had to ask a lot of questions and settle many things since my fiancee (now wife) is not a local, so the process was quite different compared to what my friends experienced when they got married.
“Each country has its own procedures, but slowly and surely, everything fell into place,” added Yew Sin.
