PETALING JAYA: Expectations were not high on women’s singles shuttler Goh Jin Wei (pic), but something clearly looked amiss when she stepped on the court in the opening round of the World Championships in Paris yesterday.
The 25-year-old struggled to keep pace with world No. 14 Gao Fangjie in their first-round clash at the Adidas Arena, going down tamely 14-21, 9-21 in just 34 minutes.
Beyond the gulf in quality, Jin Wei appeared to be weighed down by another issue as she looked listless throughout the tie.
Her coach Nova Armada revealed that she had been hampered by intestinal problems that have troubled her since undergoing a colectomy in 2019.
“In terms of preparation, everything was in order for Jin Wei, but there’s one problem that continues to affect her. I don’t want this to sound like an excuse, but that’s the reality,” said Nova, who did not accompany Jin Wei to Paris this time.
“She actually struggles to play in the morning as it’s a weakness for her.
“She needs medication to move her bowels as she does not function like others after the surgery.
“Normally, when people wake up in the morning, they can go to the toilet straight away.
“For her, it takes a much longer process and if she is unable to do so, it affects her performance because, as we know, part of her intestines has been removed.”
Nova, however, still believes that Jin Wei remains a quality player despite the unfavourable scheduling at the world meet this time.
“I’m not making excuses, but if you look at the Macau Open a few weeks ago, she played in the afternoon and evening sessions and was able to perform at her best.
“She defeated Amalie Schulz and even pushed Chen Yufei hard. For me, it’s not that she has trouble waking up in the morning, but she needs hours to move her bowels,” he added.
After wrapping up her campaign in Paris, Jin Wei will return to Malaysia to prepare for the Hong Kong Open from Sept 9-14.