AFTER a rollercoaster year, national mixed doubles, Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai believe they are more than ready to face a tough new season.
Shevon told Timesport yesterday she recalled the tough times they endured, especially when Soon Huat was hit with back-to-back injuries after a great start to the season.
According to Shevon, it wasn’t just frustrating but also mentally exhausting as it took a toll on their partnership.
“It’s been a real rollercoaster ride this year, we started the first quarter of the year on the right foot, we were motivated to continue moving forward until what seemed to be a minor setback for us turned into a six-month struggle,” Shevon said.
“That period was challenging for us, mentally, emotionally, and it tested our faith and trust for each other.
“It got to a point where we both lost hope. Because it wasn’t just injury after injury, but the doctor’s diagnosis was very serious. Treatment for Soon Huat was going to take more time. Thankfully, things miraculously got better.
“With the support from everybody, we slowly picked ourselves up, one step at a time.
“We needed time and it wasn’t until after the World Championships in August when we started slowly moving up, and at the end we managed to break into the world top 10 again.”
Apart from reaching the final of the recent Philippines Sea Games, Soon Huat-Shevon also did well to reach the semi-finals of the Fuzhou China Open and Hong Kong Open last month.
They went on to reach the Korea Masters final in November and are currently ranked No 8 in the world.
It bodes well for the duo who are on the right track to qualify for their maiden Olympic Games in Tokyo next year.
“I believe this year has helped us build our trust for one another and for the challenges ahead. It’s not going to be easy but we are ready.
“More importantly, we learned to appreciate every opportunity. The results will come,” Shevon added.
All the national players are currently on a break before the elite players and several juniors leave for Ehime, Japan for a one week training stint later this month.