Fighting Instincts

By Cheong Wei Ming in Jakarta

Before this SEA Games, the talk was that Singapore might taste glory in badminton through the highly fancied women's doubles pair of Yao Lei and Shinta Mulia Sari. Instead it was team mate Fu Mingtian who emerged as the star of the meet, winning the women’s singles title today (Nov 19) in Jakarta.

Thrilling Contest

Playing at the Istora Senayan Stadium, she showed good form and mental strength to beat the crowd’s favourite Firdasari Adryanti of Indonesia 14-21, 21-12, 22-20. It was a thrilling contest all the way. In the third set, for instance, the two girls fought point for point throughout. There was almost nothing separating them. Fortunately for Singapore, Mingtian got the better end of the deal. She not only emerged the champion but also created history. This is the first time that Singapore has won the women’s singles gold medal at the SEA Games.

Secret Weapon

Speaking about how she coped with the pressure of playing in the final, Mingtian said, “It is common knowledge that Indonesian support is very strong and intimidating. However, I did not let such external factors affect me. I chose to focus on my game.” On her “secret weapon” for her SEA Games campaign, she explained, “I have been spending a lot of time on improving myself. I am more steady now. I focus more on development and growth as a player instead of being concerned about outcomes and results.”

Fighting Spirit

Her fighting spirit was obvious. For instance, her opponent reached match point first, sending the Indonesian supporters into frenzy. But Mingtian stayed calm and did not give up. “I didn’t think too much during the match. I focused on getting the points ….I was very confident of getting the final point to seal the match.” Understandably, her coach Luan Ching was proud of her. She said, “Mingtian started a bit shaky and lost the first set, but her steady progress and improvement during training helped her to catch up after that.”