PETALING JAYA: Mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie admitted they are unable to add more support staff, particularly a sports psychologist, despite recognising the need for it.
Soon Huat-Shevon suffered a shock 19-21, 21-7, 19-21 defeat to Taiwan’s Wu Guan-xun-Lee Chia-hsin in the second round of the Malaysian Masters on Wednesday (May 20) despite making thorough preparations for the home tournament.
They acknowledged that one of the reasons behind the defeat was the mental aspect of their game, an issue that has also affected them in several tournaments before this.
Although they are aware of the challenge, Soon Huat-Shevon admitted they cannot afford to hire a psychologist, especially after no longer being part of the elite Road to Gold (RTG) programme.
"It’s really tough because even getting a physiotherapist is an uphill challenge for us, and that’s our main concern right now," said Shevon.
"We need to keep our bodies in good condition, stay injury-free and avoid any physical problems."
"Psychologically, of course, we need support in that area too, but at this moment I don’t think we can afford that kind of service or someone to help us because financially, it is a big challenge for us."
Previously, they and several other independent players based in Sri Petaling had managed to secure the services of physiotherapist Aela Syamira Jamaal to help look after their physical condition.
"There have been many times when we doubted ourselves and felt like giving up because it was really hard to bounce back.
"I think it has been the coaches and support team who helped both of us get through those challenges.
Soon Huat-Shevon will compete in the Singapore Open next week, where they will face South Korea’s Kim Jae-hyeon-Jang Ha-jeong in the first round.
