Hong Kong Badminton Veteran Falls to World No. 2 at Nagoya Asian Games
SingTao · 1 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong badminton veteran Ng Jia-lang fell short in his bid for a historic first Asian Games medal, losing 1-2 to world No. 2 Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the men's singles quarterfinals at Nagoya on Sunday. The 32-year-old four-time Asian Games competitor won the opening set before fatigue set in, as the Hong Kong team also saw women's doubles pair Yeung Yat-ting and Yeung Pui-lam bow out in the last eight. The result marks the second consecutive Asian Games without a medal for Hong Kong badminton.
Key Points
- Ng Jia-lang, 32, competed in his fourth Asian Games and was aiming to reach the semifinals for the first time to guarantee a medal
- The match score was 21:16, 10:21, 13:21 in favor of Vitidsarn, with Ng fading badly after taking the first set
- Ng's previous best Asian Games result was also a quarterfinal exit at the 2018 Jakarta edition
- Women's doubles pair Yeung Yat-ting and Yeung Pui-lam lost 15:21, 21:19, 15:21 to Japanese duo Kamisaka Suzu and Nakanishi Kiei
- The Nagoya Asian Games are being held in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, with the badminton events staged at the Nippon Gaishi Hall
Why It Matters
Ng Jia-lang's departure marks the end of an era for Hong Kong badminton, as the veteran has been a consistent presence at major international competitions for over a decade. The team's second consecutive Asian Games without medals raises questions about the pipeline of talent coming through the programme and the intensity of preparation heading into future Olympic qualification cycles.
Ng Jia-lang's departure marks the end of an era for Hong Kong badminton, as the veteran has been a consistent presence at major international competitions for over a decade. The team's second consecutive Asian Games without medals raises questions about the pipeline of talent coming through the programme and the intensity of preparation heading into future Olympic qualification cycles.