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Izaac Quek, Terry Hee and Jessica Tan To Debut At Paris Olympics
Izaac Quek, Terry Hee and Jessica Tan To Debut At Paris Olympics
2024 Paris Olympic Qualification
It was a nail-biting moment as all eyes were on Izaac Quek Yong at the Southeast Asian Regional Qualification Tournament held on 10 May 2024. The 18-year-old paddler faced off 41-year-old Thai veteran Phakpoom Sanguasin in the Men’s Singles final for a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Hungry to punch his ticket to Paris, Izaac held his nerves and remained composed against his Thai opponent, who had strong home-ground support. He could finally heave a sigh of relief after beating Phakpoom 7-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-3, 11-5, 11-5. This remarkable feat made him the youngest local-born paddler to qualify for the Olympics.
In an interview with The Straits Times, the reigning SEA Games champion said, “I’m very happy because this is my main goal for the year and our hard work has paid off. There was only one spot available here, so I had to stay calm and trust my own game.”
He added: “I know that I am ahead of my opponents in terms of serve and receive and rally ability and I can beat them if I play to my normal standards.”
Earlier, Izaac navigated past the Men’s Singles group stage with victories over Vietnam’s Dinh Anh Hoang and Jann Nayre from the Philippines. He then edged past another Filipino, John Russel Misal, 4-3 in the semi-finals to face home favourite Phakpoom in the final.
Like Izaac, badminton mixed doubles pair Jessica Tan and Terry Hee are also set to make their debut at the upcoming Paris Olympics. The alumni secured their place after Australia, which had qualified in four events, opted to take up the slots in the Women’s Singles and Women’s Doubles. This opened up an additional Mixed Doubles spot for the next eligible pair in the rankings, which was awarded to the 17th-ranked Singaporeans.
“We are very happy because it’s every athlete’s dream to play at the Olympics. Now, that dream is about to be fulfilled... all our effort and sacrifices have paid off and are not wasted,” said Terry in an interview with The Straits Times.
Jessica added: “This is an affirmation of all the hard work and dedication we’ve put in, and it proved all the difficulties we have gone through were worth it in the end.”
Besides Izaac, Jessica and Terry, Sports School alumni Loh Kean Yew, Yeo Jia Min (both badminton), Amita Berthier (Fencing) and Veronica Shanti Pereira (Track and Field) have also earned their qualifications for the Olympics, marking their second consecutive appearance at the Olympic Games.
It was a nail-biting moment as all eyes were on Izaac Quek Yong at the Southeast Asian Regional Qualification Tournament held on 10 May 2024. The 18-year-old paddler faced off 41-year-old Thai veteran Phakpoom Sanguasin in the Men’s Singles final for a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Hungry to punch his ticket to Paris, Izaac held his nerves and remained composed against his Thai opponent, who had strong home-ground support. He could finally heave a sigh of relief after beating Phakpoom 7-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-3, 11-5, 11-5. This remarkable feat made him the youngest local-born paddler to qualify for the Olympics.
In an interview with The Straits Times, the reigning SEA Games champion said, “I’m very happy because this is my main goal for the year and our hard work has paid off. There was only one spot available here, so I had to stay calm and trust my own game.”
He added: “I know that I am ahead of my opponents in terms of serve and receive and rally ability and I can beat them if I play to my normal standards.”
Earlier, Izaac navigated past the Men’s Singles group stage with victories over Vietnam’s Dinh Anh Hoang and Jann Nayre from the Philippines. He then edged past another Filipino, John Russel Misal, 4-3 in the semi-finals to face home favourite Phakpoom in the final.
Like Izaac, badminton mixed doubles pair Jessica Tan and Terry Hee are also set to make their debut at the upcoming Paris Olympics. The alumni secured their place after Australia, which had qualified in four events, opted to take up the slots in the Women’s Singles and Women’s Doubles. This opened up an additional Mixed Doubles spot for the next eligible pair in the rankings, which was awarded to the 17th-ranked Singaporeans.
“We are very happy because it’s every athlete’s dream to play at the Olympics. Now, that dream is about to be fulfilled... all our effort and sacrifices have paid off and are not wasted,” said Terry in an interview with The Straits Times.
Jessica added: “This is an affirmation of all the hard work and dedication we’ve put in, and it proved all the difficulties we have gone through were worth it in the end.”
Besides Izaac, Jessica and Terry, Sports School alumni Loh Kean Yew, Yeo Jia Min (both badminton), Amita Berthier (Fencing) and Veronica Shanti Pereira (Track and Field) have also earned their qualifications for the Olympics, marking their second consecutive appearance at the Olympic Games.
