In Chinese Taipei, every kid starts playing either badminton or table tennis when he/she can handle the weight of a racquet. For Pai Hsiao Ma it was badminton. Initially it was, however, all for fun like many others who never consider this game as profession.
But her family saw special talent in Pai and encouraged her to become a professional player just at the age of 10. Pai never looked back ever since her uncle enrolled her at a badminton club in Taipei and gradually established herself as one of the top badminton players in Taipei.
Ranked 24th in the World, Pai is the top-seeded player at the ‘Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh Open International Badminton Challenge 2013, now being held at the Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium in Dhaka.
Pai sees this as an opportunity to hone her skill and fulfil her immediate goal, which is winning a gold medal in Asian Games to be held in Korean city Incheon next year.
‘Obviously I want to win this tournament,’ Pai told New Age on Wednesday. But my immediate major goal is doing well in the Asian Games,’ said Pai, who is ranked second in Taiwan, a country that has more than 30 professional shuttlers.
Pai said she could take badminton seriously as there is always a job opportunity for the players in Taiwan. Anyone who excels in a particular game can get a job in private companies, according to the 27-year-old shuttler.
‘I don’t need to worry about anything,’ she said. ‘If I need a job I will get it easily. So I can be financially secured. There are enough sponsors available for badminton players both in individual and organisational perspective.’
Pai, however, said instead of preferring to do a
job she wants to concentrate on grooming young players once she quits the game.
‘I like coaching the young players, so probably I will take up coaching job after I retire,’ said Pai, whose only regret in life is her poor English as it prevented her from communicating with other top players.
-With New Age input
