Singapore’s duo of Izaak Quek and Jian Zeng have secured their places at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after emerging champions at the Southeast Asian Regional Olympic Qualification Tournament concluded in Bangkok on Friday, May 10, 2024.
17-year-old Quek was unbeaten from the group stage to the knockout stages, where he was flawless to win the sole slot in the men’s singles.
Quek was tested in the semifinal by Phillipines’ Ruseel Michal in an encounter that ended 4-3 (7-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 8-11, 11-5) in favour of the Singaporean, while in the final, he defeated Thailand’s Phakpoom Sanguansin 4-2 (7-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-3, 11-5, 11-5) to be listed among the athletes heading to Paris to make their debut at the Olympic Games.
In the women’s singles, Zeng was at her best, beating all her opponents from the group stage to the final, where she defeated Vietnam’s Khanh Nguyen 4-1 (11-7, 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10) to join the train to Paris.
An excited Quek said after picking the Paris ticket, “I think the qualification tournament was a lot of pressure for me. Since the beginning, everyone was targeting only one spot in the region, and it was very important for me. I had many matches where I could have lost, but I’m glad that I was able to push through and didn’t give up.”
“I still cannot believe that I’m going to Paris. It has been my goal since the beginning of the year, and this is it, I reached one of my main goals. I think I will not stop here and try to do my best at the Olympic Games,” a delighted Quek said.
For 27-year-old Zeng, heading to Paris is a dream come true. “I was very nervous during the matches, but now I am really happy that I became the qualifier from the region at the end of the tournament.
“This is the one and biggest step to qualifying for the Olympics. I’m hoping and wishing to play better in Paris. I’m very grateful for the whole Singapore team for supporting me constantly all the time, and as a result, I’m going to the Olympic Games,” she enthused.
The three-day regional qualification tournament has 18 elite athletes, made up of 10 men and eight women, representing Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and the host, Thailand.
