Small in size and height is no disadvantage to Myanmar’s 12-year-old Hein Htut who has set himself lofty targets in his badminton career and firmly believes he has a career in the shuttle sport.
Playing in the on-going Badminton Asia Junior Under-17 and Under-15 Championships in Mandalay, Myanmar, suffered first-round defeats in the singles and the doubles at the Mandalar Thiri Stadium.
Htut lost to Indonesia’s eighth seed Jason Christ Alexander of Indonesia in his first-round singles match. In the doubles, Htut and Mote Htee Thar fell 15-21, 14-21 to Singapore’s Nge Joo Jie-Ryan Tan Rui Yang.
He was also a first-round casualty in the same championships last year played at the Thuwunna National Indoor Stadium in Yangon
However, that defeat in Yangon, – losing 21-19, 13-21, 2-21, to his bigger-sized opponent Pui Chi Chong from Macau China – also made Htut ‘famous’ any still remember that defeat.
His overzealous parents fed him with a substantial breakfast. It took its toll on little Htut, who, after winning the first game at 21-19, vomited on the court in the second game which he lost 13-21 and had to seek medical treatment during the two-minute break for the decider.
He was a spent force in the rubber as Chi Chon entirely used his size and height for a 21-2 win with Htut hardly able to move on the court.
“The story of my defeat in that match made me famous for the wrong reasons. However, I want to be a famous badminton player and I am determined to achieve that,” said Htut at the Mandalar Thiri Stadium after the defeat in the Under-15 doubles on Thursday.
Htut is willing to make sacrifices and walk the extra mile in pursuit of his badminton career and he is looking at the 2024 Olympics in Paris – a target he believes he will be able to achieve.
This year alone Htut has gone to four badminton playing nations – Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and Japan – to compete in tournaments to gain experience and exposure.
“I have already started working towards achieving my dream. I go to bed at 10 pm and get up at 6 am. My morning training sessions are devoted to polishing my strokes while the evening sessions are for fitness,” says Htut who speaks fluent English.
More importantly for Htut his businessman father Sai Paing Moat, who is also a vice-president of the Myanmar Badminton Federation, has taken a personal interest in his son’s badminton future. BADMINTON ASIA
