Latest news with #GohLiuYing
Malay Mail
27-07-2025
- Sport
- Malay Mail
More fun, less pressure: Why Malaysia's retired athletes are picking up the pickleball paddle
KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 — Goh Liu Ying knows what it means to stand on the world stage. An Olympic silver medallist and former badminton darling, she spent most of her life chasing glory under stadium lights and carrying the nation's hopes. These days, her court looks a little different. 'I played two to three times a week before I gave birth, sometimes for three hours,' she told Malay Mail in a recent interview. But she wasn't talking about badminton – she was talking about pickleball. The fast-growing sport, a mix of tennis, ping pong and badminton, has quietly gained a cult following in Malaysia's parks and community courts. 'You're asking a badminton player,' Goh laughed when asked if it could rival her first love. 'Pickleball can be a social sport. But if it can enter the Olympics, I guess it has a chance,' she said. Goh Liu Ying says pickleball's inclusion in the Olympics would be monumental in lifting the sport's profile and status as well as ensure a safety net for professional players. — Picture by Raymond Manuel For career athletes like Goh, Olympic status still matters. 'All of our planning as athletes revolves around the Olympics. You can get pension money and salary if your sport is in. If it's not, it's tough,' she said. Still, she's drawn to pickleball's relaxed, inclusive energy – a refreshing change from the grind of elite competition. 'You can go pro or just be social. That's the advantage. You don't even need to train hard, you can just show up and enjoy,' said the 36-year-old mother of two. That same spirit of freedom is what lured Christian Didier Chin, once one of Malaysia's brightest tennis prodigies. 'I didn't find it so fun anymore,' Chin said of his tennis career. 'I didn't find travelling fun because I didn't have a team.' Christian Chin gave up tennis for pickleball. — Picture by Raymond Manuel After leaving the pro circuit at just 22, Chin tried to revive local tennis by working with influencers to create buzz – like Dylan Gee of 'Tennis with Dylan' fame. But a surprise entry into a paddle tournament changed his course entirely. 'We won. RM20,000 prize money. My whole life I played tennis in Malaysia, there was no money like that,' Chin recalled. He now plays both pickleball and paddle professionally, and is currently ranked top three in Asia for paddle. 'Tennis is just my business now, to sustain myself. Pickle and paddle is my profession.' What keeps him hooked is simple. 'Instead of taking it so seriously I play any sport now as long as I'm enjoying it.' Another convert is Colin Wong Wei Ming, a former national junior tennis player. After college tennis in the US and five years in finance, he stumbled upon pickleball early last year. 'I came from a very competitive background. Pickleball reignited that spark in me after my tennis career was done,' Wong said. By August that year, he quit his job to go all in. Colin Wong shifts his career to pickleball and paddle as he sees a better future in it. — Picture from Instagram/prodigius 'I had to decide. I couldn't keep juggling both. My friends and family told me this might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance so I decided to just go all out on pickleball,' he told Malay Mail. Today, he trains like any serious athlete, with a manager, strength coach, physiotherapist and nutritionist. His goal is simple – to push himself as far as he can. 'The good thing about pickleball is it's more of socialising first then playing. The culture is nurturing and very welcoming,' he said. 'It's so inclusive. Doesn't matter your background and the games go by fast, so it's easy to connect with people, to unwind. That's what makes it special.' Pickleball may not have the legacy or Olympic pedigree just yet. But for a growing number of Malaysian athletes, it offers something just as valuable – a second act. One that's less about medals, and more about meaning.
Malay Mail
26-07-2025
- Sport
- Malay Mail
More fun, less pressure: Why Malaysia's retired athletes are picking up the pickleball padle
KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 — Goh Liu Ying knows what it means to stand on the world stage. An Olympic silver medallist and former badminton darling, she spent most of her life chasing glory under stadium lights and carrying the nation's hopes. These days, her court looks a little different. 'I played two to three times a week before I gave birth, sometimes for three hours,' she told Malay Mail in a recent interview. But she wasn't talking about badminton – she was talking about pickleball. The fast-growing sport, a mix of tennis, ping pong and badminton, has quietly gained a cult following in Malaysia's parks and community courts. 'You're asking a badminton player,' Goh laughed when asked if it could rival her first love. 'Pickleball can be a social sport. But if it can enter the Olympics, I guess it has a chance,' she said. Goh Liu Ying says pickleball's inclusion in the Olympics would be monumental in lifting the sport's profile and status as well as ensure a safety net for professional players. — Picture by Raymond Manuel For career athletes like Goh, Olympic status still matters. 'All of our planning as athletes revolves around the Olympics. You can get pension money and salary if your sport is in. If it's not, it's tough,' she said. Still, she's drawn to pickleball's relaxed, inclusive energy – a refreshing change from the grind of elite competition. 'You can go pro or just be social. That's the advantage. You don't even need to train hard, you can just show up and enjoy,' said the 36-year-old mother of two. That same spirit of freedom is what lured Christian Didier Chin, once one of Malaysia's brightest tennis prodigies. 'I didn't find it so fun anymore,' Chin said of his tennis career. 'I didn't find travelling fun because I didn't have a team.' Christian Chin gave up tennis for pickleball. — Picture by Raymond Manuel After leaving the pro circuit at just 22, Chin tried to revive local tennis by working with influencers to create buzz – like Dylan Gee of 'Tennis with Dylan' fame. But a surprise entry into a paddle tournament changed his course entirely. 'We won. RM20,000 prize money. My whole life I played tennis in Malaysia, there was no money like that,' Chin recalled. He now plays both pickleball and paddle professionally, and is currently ranked top three in Asia for paddle. 'Tennis is just my business now, to sustain myself. Pickle and paddle is my profession.' What keeps him hooked is simple. 'Instead of taking it so seriously I play any sport now as long as I'm enjoying it.' Another convert is Colin Wong Wei Ming, a former national junior tennis player. After college tennis in the US and five years in finance, he stumbled upon pickleball early last year. 'I came from a very competitive background. Pickleball reignited that spark in me after my tennis career was done,' Wong said. By August that year, he quit his job to go all in. Colin Wong shifts his career to pickleball and paddle as he sees a better future in it. — Picture from Instagram/prodigius 'I had to decide. I couldn't keep juggling both. My friends and family told me this might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance so I decided to just go all out on pickleball,' he told Malay Mail. Today, he trains like any serious athlete, with a manager, strength coach, physiotherapist and nutritionist. His goal is simple – to push himself as far as he can. 'The good thing about pickleball is it's more of socialising first then playing. The culture is nurturing and very welcoming,' he said. 'It's so inclusive. Doesn't matter your background and the games go by fast, so it's easy to connect with people, to unwind. That's what makes it special.' Pickleball may not have the legacy or Olympic pedigree just yet. But for a growing number of Malaysian athletes, it offers something just as valuable – a second act. One that's less about medals, and more about meaning.
The Star
23-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
From playground to podium, Goh sows Olympics seed through Kidslympic
One for the album: Former mixed doubles shuttler Goh Liu Ying (back row, centre) posing with participants of the Kidslympic programme. PETALING JAYA: Kids can start their journey towards realising their Olympic dreams from a young age thanks to Kidslympic Malaysia. Former shuttler Goh Liu Ying, who captured silver in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics with Chan Peng Soon in the mixed doubles, started the initiative to encourage more children under the age of 12 to take up sports. In this year's edition, athletics, swimming, 3x3 basketball, volleyball, football, gymnastics and obstacle race will be contested from Oct 10-12 at PNB Merdeka Ventures Stadium in Kuala Lumpur. The event was launched on Sunday, thanks to the partnership with Affin Bank and Watsons Malaysia as the main partners. 'I started Kidslympic with the main intention of helping children develop a better understanding of health and fitness,' said Liu Ying. 'For kids who may be interested in pursuing sports professionally but are still unsure of where their strengths lie, Kidslympic can serve as a platform for them to explore and discover which type of sport suits them best. 'This is actually one of the first sporting events in Malaysia specifically for children under the age of 12. 'It's somewhat similar to National Schools (MSSM) or inter schools championships but without the pressure and competitiveness that often come with it. 'MSSM have limited slots and requires students to go through school-based selections, but Kidslympic is open to all primary school children under 12, giving more kids the opportunity to participate,' added Liu Ying. Liu Ying's achievements as an athlete also spurred her to create Kidslympic. Kidslympic was first held last December and featured five sports – athletics, softball, volleyball, gymnastics and modern pentathlon, where 800 took part.
The Star
22-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Liu Ying gives thumbs up to RTG for providing ‘home' for pros
KUALA LUMPUR: Former national mixed doubles player, Goh Liu Ying described the initiative of the Road to Gold (RTG) committee to help professional badminton players with more conducive training facilities as an important move. Liu Ying, who has previously played professionally, said the main challenges faced by players who are not in the national squad are the lack of basic facilities and complete support services. 'I can confirm that as an independent player, the facilities used are not as good as those enjoyed by players in the national team. 'Even before qualifying for the (Tokyo 2020) Olympic Games, we sought help from the National Sports Council and the National Sports Institute because we needed not only a private training venue, but also a complete support team,' said Liu Ying after the launch of the Malaysia Kidslympic yesterday. Liu Ying and her partner Chan Peng Soon previously created history by becoming the country's first mixed doubles to win a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Despite leaving the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) in 2018, they still managed to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games, which was their last appearance at the world's biggest sporting event. On Saturday, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said the RTG committee would help professional badminton players get more conducive training venues as most of them are currently training in public courts. At the same time, Liu Ying said that additional support services such as physiotherapy provided by RTG also help professional players maintain their performance despite having to endure a tight schedule to the point of having to play in three to four tournaments a month. — Bernama
The Star
22-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Liu Ying gives thumbs up to RTG for providing pros their own training 'home'
Starting early: Mixed doubles ace Goh Liu Ying (first right, second row) posing with the kids after the Malaysia Kidslympic Run. - Bernama KUALA LUMPUR: Former national mixed doubles player, Goh Liu Ying described the initiative of the Road to Gold (RTG) Committee to help professional badminton players with more conducive training facilities as an appropriate important move. Liu Ying, who has previously played professionally, said the main challenges faced by players who are not in the national squad are the lack of basic facilities and complete support services. "I can confirm that as an independent player, the facilities used are not as good as those enjoyed by players in the national team. "Even before qualifying for the (Tokyo 2020) Olympic Games, we sought help from the National Sports Council and the National Sports Institute because we needed not only a private training venue, but also a complete support team,' she said. She told reporters after the launch of the Kidslympic Malaysia 2025 here, today. Liu Ying and her partner Chan Peng Soon previously created history by becoming the country's first mixed doubles to win a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Despite leaving the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) in 2018, they still managed to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games, which was their last appearance at the world's biggest sporting event. On Saturday, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said the RTG Committee would help professional badminton players get more conducive training venues as most of them are currently training in public courts. At the same time, Liu Ying said that additional support services such as physiotherapy provided by RTG also help professional players maintain their performance despite having to endure a tight schedule to the point of having to play in three to four tournaments a month. Regarding the Kidslympic Malaysia 2025, the co-founder of the children's sports games is targeting the participation of 5,000 participants from all over the country who will gather and compete at the Merdeka Stadium, here, from Oct 10-12. She said that among the types of sports offered in the Kidslympic Malaysia 2025 are athletics, gymnastics, volleyball and basketball. - Bernama
