National professional badminton player Goh Jin Wei secured the perfect boost in her quest to earn a ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics after extending her sponsorship contract with Li-Ning Malaysia until the end of next year.
Jin Wei, 23, became a Li-Ning ambassador last year after leaving the national squad to start her professional career.
Li-Ning Malaysia and Sunlight Group certainly made the right move to sponsor the two-time world junior champion as she has been performing brilliantly over the past 12 months.
Jin Wei, who previously struggled with chronic constipation problems that required bowel surgery in 2019, made an impressive comeback by claiming the runner-up title at the Vietnam Open and reaching the semi-finals of the Italian International Challenge.
She also recorded six quarter-final appearances including a strong performance in dragging the Indian star P.V. Sindhu to the deciding set before losing 21-19, 14-21, 18-21 at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games last year.
Consistent performances throughout the 2022 season allowed Jin Wei to jump from 128th last April to the top 32 in the BWF world rankings, giving her full access to all BWF Tour competitions.
Jin Wei, who is currently ranked 31st in the world, thanked Li-Ning Malaysia and Sunlight Sports for continuing to place faith in her with the sponsorship contract extension and is determined to repay Li-Ning by qualifying for Paris 2024.
On paper, Jin Wei clearly has the advantage to qualify as the national women’s singles player.
“This contract extension really comes at the right time because the ‘Race to Paris’ qualifying competition will start in May. Armed with Li-Ning’s solid support, I can fully focus on my mission to qualify for the Olympics without having to worry about financial matters,” said Jin Wei.
“I am really indebted to Li-Ning. Even if I have to start from the bottom, this company is still willing to sponsor me.
“I was also able to improve my ranking position to the point that I can now play in Super 750 level tournaments and above.
“The next challenge for me is to sharpen the quality of my game and hopefully be able to close the gap with the best players in the world.
“Most importantly, I hope to stay healthy and free from injury.”
Meanwhile, Li-Ning also welcomed the participation of its three newest recruits, namely independent doubles players Low Hang Yee and Ng Eng Cheong and coach Rosman Razak to its family.
Hang Yee-Eng Cheong joined when he was in the national squad and emerged as the runner-up in the Malaysia International Challenge and the Laos International Challenge in 2019.
Rosman, on the other hand, recently returned to his homeland after managing the Philippines national team.
He will replace Chin Eei Hui to coach a group of professional doubles players including world number eight pair Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi, who is also a protege of Li-Ning.
Brand Marketing Head of Sunlight Group Teah Yann Ling hopes that Li-Ning’s sponsorship, whether through an extension or a new contract, will help players and coaches to develop their careers and realize their dreams.
“The decision to extend Jin Wei’s contract was easy for us. She has put in a lot of effort and managed to recover in such a short period of time. Her next goal is to qualify for the Olympics and of course, we want to continue to support her,” said Yann Ling.
“As for Hang Yee-Eng Cheong, we are also called to extend support to them. After leaving the national squad, they need a platform to start. At Li-Ning, we adhere to the principle that “Anything is Possible”.
“We also realize how important it is for the coach to guide the players in their role to keep them on the right track. So, we brought in Rosman who is definitely the best candidate to replace Eei Hui.”
Li-Ning’s extended family also consists of former national players namely Tan Boon Heong, Goh Liu Ying and Woon Khe Wei.
