JAPANESE superstar Kento Momota, who made a successful return from a gambling ban in 2016, has become an inspiration to numerous young shuttlers around the globe. And the list includes Malaysian Eogene Ewe.
Momota missed the 2016 Rio Olympics due to the ban but it did not stop him from winning the last two world championships (2018-2019) since his comeback in July, 2017. He also won six World Tour titles this year.
While Momota is making waves around the world, Eogene created some waves of his own at the recent National Under-18 Championships in Alor Star.
Only 14, Eogene stunned several players much older than him to reach the final before he was stopped by Ong Zhen Yi.
Eogene’s ability to beat the older and bigger boys has national junior coach Hafiz Hashim saying he doesn’t often see this type of players.
Eogene, who hails from Bagan Serai, Perak, said he is amazed by by Momota’s discipline, smooth court movement and almost error-free game.
And the Malaysian wants to emulate the Japanese’s qualities in his quest to achieve success on the world stage.
“Momota is my favourite player. He is very focused, rarely makes mistakes and is a complete player. I hope I can play like him,” said Eogene who started playing badminton at the age of eight.
“I was privileged to watch him play against Lee Chong Wei in the Malaysia Open last year. It was an unforgettable experience as the two players that I admire most were battling against each other.
“I have not achieved much other than winning the national schools Under-12 title (in 2017). I need to work hard to improve and do well in Asian and World Junior Championships before thinking about the senior level.
“I want to become a full-time player and my dream is to play in the Olympics and the World Championships,” he said.
Eogene’s attitude as a perfectionist at times sees him admonishing himself during training when he commits errors. But he claimed that he is able to control his temper and doesn’t lose concentration in tournaments.
“I always get angry with myself when I make mistakes and I try hard to reduce my errors in training. This will help me when I compete in tournaments.”
Eogene had also done fairly well in his 2017 UPSR examinations, scoring 5As and 3Bs. His father, Ewe Hong Cheong, who is an engineer, had given him his blessings to pursue a career in badminton.
“My father is not an active badminton player but he supports my dreams. His only advice is for me to be fully focused on becoming a good player. He also said I should not neglect my studies as my mind is always on badminton,” added Eogene.
Hafiz said while Eogene is an exceptional talent, it is better to give him space and time to realise his potential.
“These are still early days. No doubt he has great potential but he has a long way to go. He is already beating players who are older than him but he needs to progress gradually,” said Hafiz.
Eogene’s first test at continental level will be the Asian Junior Under-15 Championships in Surabaya, Indonesia in December where he aims for a place in the final.