Being able to represent Singapore in the Olympics was a dream. I was the flag bearer in the 2004 Olympics in Athens and it was an honor.
Defeating Lin Dan, the world’s number one ranking badminton player and one of China’s biggest champions in the 2004 Olympics felt good and satisfying.
All the hard work I had put in paid off. Having beaten a Chinese player in such a big tournament is something I am proud of.
One must have strong determination and perseverance to perform at your very best in the Olympics and have good sportsmanship during the whole tournament.
The local sports culture still has a lot of areas that need to be improved. Getting a good education has always been prioritized over excelling in sports so we need to overcome that barrier first.
Many individuals are not comfortable sacrificing their studies over the sports and they are uncertain of what they want to achieve, much less working towards achieving their dreams. Hence, the progress of the sport is much affected.
Badminton has always been my passion and by setting up my coaching academy, I hope to pass down my experience, knowledge and skills to enthusiastic individuals who dare to dream of becoming a badminton champion.
I hate to receive advice from people who think that they know more about the sport than I do.
If I could be 18 again, I would still take up playing badminton as my career but I would change my training methods.
My guilty pleasures are eating too much seafood and drinking soft drinks as my diet affects my body condition for the sport.
If I hadn’t been a badminton player, I would have become a doctor as most of my family members are involved in the medical profession.
I live to eat, but I definitely live to be myself and to do what I love.
Challenges turn me on. The more challenging something is to achieve, the more I would be tempted to try.
