Singapore: Singapore shuttler Ronald Susilo was best known for defeating Lin Dan at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and he has returned to badminton last May in a bid to compete in the 2015 Singapore SEA Games. However, his dream was shattered after he was forced to withdraw from the Singapore team after suffering a muscle tear in his hip.
Susilo’s withdrawal was a setback for the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) especially after the Singapore national team was hit by the recent retirements of Gu Juan, Fu Mingtian, Yao Lei, Ashton Chen, and Terry Yeo.
With Susilo’s withdrawal, SBA has decided to form a fairly young team spearheaded by several veterans such as Derek Wong, Danny Bawa Chrisnanta, Chayut Triyachart and Hendra Wijaya.
16-year-old Yeo Jia Min will be the youngest player in the Singapore squad: “I hope to perform well (at the SEA Games) as this would be my first step into the bigger and more prestigious games of my career.”
As the 2015 SEA Games will be held in Singapore, the 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medalist Derek Wong vowed to make a good showing in front of home crowd.
“It’s great to see new faces playing in the 2015 SEA Games, it’s going to be a good exposure for them too. As for myself, I am ready to play my best and I am definitely aiming for a medal,” said Derek.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s top women’s doubles player will lead Singapore onslaught on home soil together with multiple SEA Games medalist Shinta Mulia Sari and compatriot Chen Jiayuan in the women’s division.
