SINGAPORE — Over a decade-long career spent playing badminton professionally, Derek Wong has amassed a number of titles that include a men’s singles silver and mixed-team bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, two bronze medals at the SEA Games, and a mixed-team bronze from the 2007 World Junior Championships.

However, the 27-year-old has never had the opportunity to be Team Singapore’s flagbearer for a major Games. That is set to change next month, as Wong will lead Singapore’s 25-strong contingent at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games opening ceremony at the Maracana Stadium on Aug 5.

It is an honour that the world No 57 shuttler is relishing, particularly as this edition of the Games is likely to be his last. “This is my first time as Singapore’s flagbearer and I’m very honoured (to be given the role),” said Wong in an interview at his Punggol home on Sunday (July 24).

“The experience will be different this time, as I’m going in with more experience after having been through one Olympics. So I won’t be overwhelmed compared to the previous one and I can focus on playing my best in every match.”

Wong, who got married to fellow national shuttler Vanessa Neo last May, is also considering his career options after the Olympics. While he is undecided on whether to compete in his sixth SEA Games in Malaysia next year, Wong could call time on his Olympics career after Rio.

“I don’t want to block the younger players who are coming up, and give them a chance to go to the next Olympics. We want to encourage the younger generation of players to start stepping up to lead the team,” he said.

Wong’s debut at the London Games four years ago had ended at the Group stage of the men’s singles, where he failed to qualify for the next round after posting one win and a loss respectively to Israel’s Misha Zilberman and Jan O Jorgensen (Denmark) to finish second among the three-man group.

The national shuttler is determined to make his second – and possibly his last – Olympics count, as he said: “I’ll need a bit of luck with the draw … I hope to make it out of the group stage and proceed to the top 16 or the quarter-finals.”

With mixed-doubles pair Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Neo missing out on the cut for the Games, Team Singapore will see its smallest-ever badminton contingent since the 2004 Olympics with Wong and debutant Liang Xiaoyu (30) competing in the men’s and women’s singles.

Liang, a former world junior No 4, has been touted as one to watch for after a run of good results last year that saw her placing second in the Thailand Open last October — she had beaten Thailand’s world champion Ratchanok Inthanon in the semi-finals — before winning the Malaysian International Challenge Championships a month later.

Added Wong: “She has the ability, youth, and strength to fight against some of the big players. I want her to go into the Olympics with an open heart, focus on every single point, and not think so much about winning or losing. I tell myself the same thing too.”

And perhaps, when the Olympics’ badminton competition is done and dusted, Wong can hunt down tennis player Rafael Nadal for a selfie.

“I took a photo with (Novak) Djokovic and watched Roger Federer’s quarter-final match at the 2012 London Games ... this time I’m hoping to meet Nadal,” he said.

WHAT’S GOING IN DEREK’S BAG?

- 10 polo and T-shirts

- Eight pairs of shorts

- Two sets of tracksuits

- One formal jacket, pants, long-sleeved shirt, tie, leather shoes (Opening Ceremony)

- Two pairs of badminton shoes

- One pair of running shoes

- Eight rackets, eight grips, 10 packets of racket strings

- 20 Singapore pins

- One softball massager

- Hand sanitiser, mouth guard

- Two speedminton rackets, shuttlecock (“Ex-national player and 1992 Olympian Donald Koh gave this to me when he heard I was going to Rio. He says we can play this when we have nothing to do in our free time.”)

ITEMS FROM THE SINGAPORE NATIONAL OLYMPIC COUNCIL:

- Insect repellent

- Permethrin solution to treat clothes prior to travel, gloves

- Essential oil diffuser, citronella or lemongrass oil

- Arm and calf sleeves