Jovenn shuttles ahead in just three years

The 8th ASEAN Para Games will be held here from Dec 3-9, with some 1,500 athletes from 10 countries competing for honours. As Team Singapore readies for the battle on home ground, TODAY takes a closer look at each of the 15 sports that will be contested, and the inspirational stories behind the local athletes participating in them. The focus today is on badminton.

SINGAPORE — Jovenn Siow does not pretend he is normal, nor does he take pains to hide the fact he is different. He appreciates empathy from others, but cringes at deliberate acts of sympathy.

“Don’t just give in to me because I’m different,” said the 17-year-old, who was born with cerebral palsy and walks with a limp. “I feel uncomfortable when people do that.”

Case in point: Whenever the first-year student at ITE College Central plays badminton with his father and brother, he realises that they always “let” him win.

“I know that I have a disability. I can feel the love, and I am grateful,” said Jovenn, who will be making his ASEAN Para Games debut next week in the men’s singles and team events (SL4). “During badminton games with my father and brother, sometimes, I noticed they try to give in to me. I’d rather they don’t do that.”

Last month, his opponent in the men’s team event at the Inter-Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Games did not give in, and Jovenn was beaten. But he learnt that even a defeat can end in exhilaration. “I was the only player with a disability in that competition,” he said proudly. “I lost that match but I gave a good fight and the scores were close. I think that surprised some people.”

Jovenn has been making a habit of surprising people since Singapore’s para-badminton coach Simon Koh spotted the scrawny teen playing badminton with his family at SAFRA Tampines three years ago. Koh was impressed enough to invite him to join the national team.

“He has a lot of fighting spirit, works hard and has sound skills,” the coach said. “I see a lot of potential in Jovenn. So far, in all the competitions he has been to, he has done well. This will be his first APG, and I advised him to take one step at a time. Hopefully, he will inspire more young para shuttlers to join the team.”

But Koh did not expect Jovenn to take the local para-badminton scene by storm, with the youngster winning singles titles in the Under-17 boys age-group at the National Disability League badminton competition in 2013, and again this year.

“With hard work, anyone can do well,” said the student, who trains five times a week, including a session every Sunday by a private coach.

“I am grateful for all the people around me who have been supporting me in my badminton so far. My mates from my school team have all been helping me out in my preparation for the APG, too.”

Coach Koh is looking to narrow the gap between Singapore and the powerhouses of China and Malaysia, and injecting young talents such as Jovenn into the squad is key to his plans. He is also looking at getting female players to join the side. A wheelchair badminton team has also begun training, but will not be competing at this year’s APG.

While Jovenn will be making his debut as a member of Singapore’s five-man badminton team, he can count on the experience and guidance of two-time APG champion Tay Wei Ming.

“A lot of junior players may lose confidence or motivation along the way, so I try to be a role model to them in terms of continuously putting in hard work,” said Tay, 27, who has a new doubles partner in APG debutant Teddy Wong. “Then they will perhaps see that, hey, this is what Wei Ming is doing, so if he can do it, why can’t I?

“I will definitely try to get a medal at this year’s APG. It will be a tough challenge though, as one has to understand that for para-badminton, the best players are in South-east Asia.

“My ultimate dream is the Paralympics in 2020 (para-badminton will feature in the Paralympics for the first time then). I have been waiting for this to happen, and I am hoping to keep building up towards that.”

Classification

In Badminton, players who compete in wheelchairs fall under the Sport class of “WH”, and athletes who stand while competing, and use their lower limb or upper limb falls under the prefix “SL”, and “SU” respectively.

Sport Class WH1 • Impairment in upper limbs or trunk and in lower limbs

Sport Class WH2 • Lower limb impairment

Sport Class SL3 • Lower limb impairment and marked difficulty in movement

Sport Class SL4 • Lower limb impairment and with moderate difficulty in movement

Sport Class SU5 • Upper limb impairment

Sport Class SU6 • Short stature

Tournament Rules

Badminton for athletes with disabilities consists of the same rules and regulations set forth by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) with a few modifications added in consideration of specific physical disabilities. Singles matches for players in wheelchairs are limited to one half of the court due to limited reach, but doubles matches use the full court as with regular badminton.

In wheelchair badminton, players must ensure that some part of his torso is in contact with the seat of the wheelchair when striking. The player’s feet should maintain contact with the foothold while the shuttlecock is in play and must not come in contact with the floor. In addition, the foothold propping up the player’s feet cannot come in contact with the floor while the shuttlecock is in play.

Players cannot use their legs for support, and are prohibited from using their hands to prop up their body right before or during contact with the shuttlecock.

Team Singapore’s para-badminton team at 8th APG: Jovenn Siow, Tay Wei Ming, Kelvin Pung, Bobby Lee, Teddy Wong

THE GAMES ON MEDIACORP:

On okto:

* Dec 3: Opening ceremony ‘LIVE’ at 8pm

* Dec 4-9: Daily action belt, 8-10pm

* Daily Highlights, ‘LIVE’, 10-10.30pm

On Toggle

* Visit Toggle.sg/APG2015