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Teen shuttler Ryan wants to exorcise demons of 2015 SEA Games, and win a medal in KL

SINGAPORE – It was two years ago, but the memory of his SEA Games debut remains clear as day in Ryan Ng’s mind. Designated as the fourth singles player in the men’s badminton team roster, the then 17-year-old did not expect to actually get on court.

Singapore's top men's shuttler Ryan Ng at training while his coach Ding Chao watches on. Photo: Najeer Yusof

Singapore's top men's shuttler Ryan Ng at training while his coach Ding Chao watches on. Photo: Najeer Yusof

As Team Singapore prepares for battle at the 29th SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, its contingent includes several up-and-coming athletes, many of whom are making their debuts and have the potential to be Singapore’s future sports stars. TODAY’s countdown coverage will be on some of these talented youths. The focus today is on shuttler Ryan Ng

SINGAPORE – It was two years ago, but the memory of his SEA Games debut remains clear as day in Ryan Ng’s mind.

Designated as the fourth singles player in the men’s badminton team roster, the then 17-year-old did not expect to actually get on court.

But in the semi-final against Thailand, Ng was called upon to play the deciding singles match with the score at 2-2.

Caught off guard, he went down 14-21, 11-21 in straight sets to then world no. 68 Suppanyu Avihingsanon as Singapore settled for joint-bronze.

“I didn’t prepare myself enough,” he admitted candidly to TODAY. 

That disappointment has fueled Ng’s quest to be the best since and the 29th edition of the Games offers him the chance to banish those demons.

Now 19, he heads to Kuala Lumpur as the Republic’s No. 1 singles player and will play in both the team and singles events.

“I have been really focused in training,” he said of his preparations. “Each time I feel really tired, I just remember the time when I lost the deciding point to make myself even more motivated.

“My main focus for this SEA Games is to prepare myself thoroughly and not leave any regrets, to make sure I do my best to win the points for Singapore.

“I want to avenge myself and I definitely want to medal in the individual event.”

A chubby kid who picked up the sport at six because his mother wanted him to lose weight and because badminton was the only sport his domestic helper knew, Ng’s desire to represent Singapore was sparked when he went to his first Singapore Open at nine.

“That’s when I saw world-class players in action for the first time,” he recalled. “And I told myself I really wanted to be there one day.”

 

DESIRE

A podium finish will represent a breakthrough for Ng, who almost switched to doubles during a period in 2014 when he was struggling.

He had narrowly failed to qualify for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) that year, having given up the promise of “so-called better education” at Raffles Institution to join the Singapore Sports School the year before to do precisely that.

“Everybody was telling me I shouldn't have dropped out from Raffles as it's a smooth pathway,” Ng said of the rough period. “After I failed to qualify, I was really, really down and just going through the motions in training.” 

But support from his family members and coaches reminded him that the journey to the top is a long one and it would be a waste for him to give up.

“They made me remember the reasons why I played badminton in the first place – to don the Singapore flag,” he said. 

Ng bounced back, winning a bronze medal at that year’s Asia Under-17 championships and then a silver at the ASEAN School Games.

The highlight of his career came last September when he won his first individual title at the Malaysia International Youth Under-19 championships, which propelled him to his highest ever junior world ranking of fourth.

“The feeling of standing as the No. 1 at the podium? There is really no other better feeling,” Ng grinned.

He is currently ranked 146th in the world after making the transition to senior level this year. At the elite level, opponents are more mature and patient, but Ng believes he is handling the step up well and his coach, Ding Chao, agrees.

“Actually, I am quite happy with his progress,” the 36-year-old told TODAY in Mandarin.

“In some of the competitions he has played, he came up against some high-calibre opponents and his displays were all right. 

“I’ve coached him for over two years and this kid actually has a burning passion for badminton – in training and competitions, his desire for victory is very strong and this is what an (aspiring) elite player should possess.” 

Ng cites his power, strength and speed as his main offensive weapons, while noting that flexibility is a big issue.

“I am really stiff and my nickname in the team is ‘Robot’,” he said with a rueful smile. “Where others take two steps to reach a certain spot, I have to take four... If I solve this, I think I will go to another level.”

Ding agreed that his charge’s attack is “quite threatening” but he also has to work on his match conditioning, technique and defence.

“There are many areas he has room for improvement in, so this means he has the potential to get a lot better,” he added. 

“Of course, I hope that he can win a medal at the SEA Games, but to be honest the level of competition is very high.

“He is still young after all, so I won't put too much pressure on him to achieve something. What I hope is to see him give a good account of himself and put into practice what he has done in training, and perhaps be a dark horse and spring some surprises.”

 

BE YOUR OWN MAN

Ding believes that Ng is Olympic material and has a shot at qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Games, which the Republic Polytechnic student is working towards. 

It would see him emulate his idol, Derek Wong, Singapore’s last top men’s shuttler who left behind a void when he retired last September to focus on his career.

“He went to places where very few Singapore athletes have gone, winning a SEA Games (bronze) medal, a Commonwealth Games silver and two Olympics,” Ng said. “I want to be like him… Definitely, I want to fill it (the void) as quickly as possible.”

Wong knows exactly what Ng, whose playing style he believes resembles his, is going through, having once been in his shoes when his own predecessors, Ronald Susilo and Kendrick Lee, were winding down their badminton careers.

He has some simple advice to offer Ng – focus on yourself.

“During every single training session, you just have to remind yourself why you are here,” he told TODAY.

“I will talk to him and tell him that it's not about where you are now, but what you want to see yourself becoming. 

“Look forward to your future, rather than think about being Singapore's No. 1 now – this will all hold you back.

“Look at where you want to be in the next two or three years – not four or five, that’s too long – and give yourself that time (to achieve your goals). 

“He will be 21 then and it’s still okay, at that age, to be Singapore’s (next) number one and represent Singapore on the world stage.”

 

WHO TO WATCH OUT FOR

Yeo Jia Min (Singapore) – The 18-year-old is the first Singaporean shuttler to ever top the world rankings at any level and the current world no. 1 female junior has the chance to show what she can do in Malaysia.

Busanan Ongbumrungpan (Thailand) – The world no. 12 is favoured to defend the women’s singles title, particularly in the absence of compatriot and world no. 8 Ratchanok Intanon. 

Goh Jin Wei (Malaysia) – The 17-year-old became the first Malaysian female to win the junior world championships at 15 and is already ranked 29th in the world as she seeks to better her bronze from 2015 on home soil.

Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk (Thailand) – The world no. 13 is the highest ranked player in the men’s singles and will be keen to improve on the bronze he garnered in 2015.

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