M Badminton Academy is thankful and proud for the support from our friend Goh Giap Chin to make this issue possible. Giap Chin has been one of the best men's singles player in Malaysia and had won titles such as the World Junior Championship Champion & Asia Junior Championship first runner-up as well as leading Petaling Jaya Badminton Club to victory at Malaysia Purple League.
Q&A with Goh Giap Chin
How long have you been playing badminton & why do you like this sport?
My father loves to play badminton, we are not from a wealthy family so he tried to raise me into a badminton player when I was a kid, and I like the sport as well. So it all started there.
Have you been through any obstacle & how you overcome them?
It’s extremely competitive in National Team, and the opportunity to join tournament doesn’t come easy. It’s a must to work hard and put in twice the effort compared to others. You must have short, middle as well as long term goals to work towards. Always remind yourself of the goals you’ve set rather than training hard without a direction.
Are there major differences playing for the club and for the national team?
Definitely, If we don’t work hard in the national team, we’ll get replaced by other players, and sometimes there aren’t many second chances given. Many don’t even care about our future, it’s a highly competitive environment with rapid replacement of players once their ability is deemed unsatisfied by the national team. Furthermore, we face a tremendous amount of pressure to wear our country’s flag in front of our chest, which means we are expected to win. Outside of the national team, training and rules are not as strict, thus much depend on our own discipline.
Which player do you look up to on the international badminton scene?
LEE CHONG WEI & LEE HYUN IL, because they have world-class level of gameplay and most importantly they are gentlemen on court.
What tips & advice will you give to professional player/badminton enthusiasts?
Apart from hard work, a clear goal is essential, to know what you really want to achieve at the end of the day.
你打羽毛球几年了，为什么会喜欢上这项运动？
我父亲以前也很喜欢打球，以前小时候他经济状况不好，所以他就试着栽培我，也是刚好我也有兴趣。
在你的羽球生涯中有遇到过哪些困难,你又是怎样克服的？
就是想得到比赛的机会其实挺难，尤其在国家队，当然也要比每一个人更勤劳训练甚至双倍，自己要有定目标，长期目标，中期目标，短期目标，不断地提醒自己目标是什么而不是白白地练。
在俱乐部训练跟在国家队比有很大的不同吗？
有，在国家队我们不勤劳，别人就会代替我们，有时机会也只有一次，甚至没人会在乎我们的未来，后浪推前浪，而且压力也会比较大因为我们穿的衣服是国家队的衣服负担很大，要有成绩。在外面呢，因为没有像国家队训练那么严格，而且没人一直严着管，到最后是要靠自己了，如果懒懒散散就完了。
在国际赛场上你有特别欣赏的球员吗？为什么？
李宗伟还有李炫一。因为他们都在世界最高水准，最重要的是他们在场上的风度很冷静。
你会给年轻一代的专业球员/业余爱好者什么样的建议？
除了努力，一定要有明确的目标，最重是要知道自己要的是什么，当然不努力什么都没有。