SHEVON LAI CHERISHES CNY FAMILY TIME, EYES SUCCESS AT BAMTC

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 (Bernama) -- The Chinese New Year (CNY) celebration this year holds a deeper meaning for Malaysian professional mixed doubles shuttler Shevon Lai Jemie.

Besides celebrating it with Goh Soon Huat, her husband and on-court partner, for the first time, she will also finally have a proper family gathering after years of being unable to do so due to her busy schedule and commitments on the court.

“I can’t remember how many years it’s been since we had a proper break. Last year, we had a short one, but it was still during the Olympic qualifying period, so we couldn’t take many days off.

“This year is a little bit more special because, for many years, we weren’t able to have a proper CNY gathering with our family. So, this year, having the time to go back and spend the whole Chinese New Year with them is quite exciting,” she told Bernama when contacted recently.

Shevon added that she will celebrate the festive season this year with Soon Huat’s family as per Chinese tradition.

However, she was glad that she managed to spend a few days with her own family before the actual CNY celebration.

Asked about her goals this year with Soon Huat, she hopes they can maintain their physical condition while competing at the highest level.

“For us, our main focus is to stay injury-free and be healthy. It’s challenging to maintain, but it’s our priority. We’re always trying new strategies and pushing ourselves to be better,” she added.

Meanwhile, Shevon expressed her excitement about the Feb 11-16 Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships (BAMTC) to be held in Qingdao, China, where she and Soon Huat will be part of the team.

 “We’re really excited for BAMTC. It’s always an exciting event to be part of, especially this year with some younger players in the mix. It’s a different experience, and both of us are ready to embrace it,” she said.

-- BERNAMA