KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 – Former Youth Olympics champion and two-time world junior champion, Goh Jin Wei has quit the national team, sending shock waves in Malaysian badminton – citing health as the reason for the bombshell.
Only 21, the Penang-born Jin Wei quit the national team on Monday, catching many by surprise although many of the top guns in the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), including president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria, tried to soften the unexpected news.
The affable Jin Wei dropped the bombshell on Monday after the BAM named their teams for the Sudirman Cup to be held in Vaantha, Finland (Sept 26-Oct 3) and the Thomas Cup, Uber Cup Finals to be held in Aarhus, Denmark ( (Oct 9-17).
Sources close to her revealed Jin Wei was “disappointed” to be dropped from the Sudirman Cup.
“That left her frustrated…as her health was the excuse. She had been training diligently for the two tournaments. Health is not the main issue here for her omission. There are several other factors involved.
“If health is the issue why drop her from one tournament and name her for another tournament. Both tournaments are back to back. It is puzzling but there is nothing much you can do,” said the source.
Citing poor health is “diplomacy” as Jin Wei thanked the Penang Badminton Association and the BAM for playing a big role in developing her badminton career. Jin Wei joined the national setup at the age of 14.
Winning the world junior title twice – in Lima, Peru (2015) and again in Markham, Canada (2018) – Jin Wei also won the Youth Olympics gold in Buenos Aires in 2018.
She also won the SEA Games gold in Kuala Lumpur in 2017, apart from winning the bronze at the biennial games in Singapore in 2015.
In the Youth Olympics final, Jin Wei defeated compatriot Lee Ying Ying 21-15, 21-16 in an all-Malaysian affair.
Tan Sri Norza and other BAM officials tried to persuade Jin Wei to put off her decision to quit but to no avail.
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