Hangzhou 2022:  Former world junior No.1s battle bravely against continent’s best

By Jeremiah Ong

Former world junior No. 1s Nge Joo Jie and Johann Prajogo missed out on a semifinal berth and guaranteed bronze after a 0-2 (7-21, 9-21) loss to Indian doubles pair Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy at the Binjiang Gymnasium on Thursday (Oct 5).

Despite the loss, the pair never once hung their heads throughout the match, valiantly holding their ground against the world No. 3 pair.

“(It was a) good experience for us. We can see the level, the difference between us and them and how far we are from the standard. So we will go back and train harder,” Prajogo said.

The match started out as a high-octane affair with the Indians keen to show off their attacking prowess from the get-go, unleashing their trademark smashes. The towering 1.93m Prajogo was resolute in defence in the backcourt but was undone by his opponent’s relentless attacks.

Despite getting on the scoreboard several times with some well-placed shots, there was little the Singaporeans could do as the first set finished 7-21.

In the second set, Nge and Prajogo grew into the game as rallies lengthened but often had to play on the backfoot with defensive lifts from the backcourt.

Prajogo put up a resolute defence throughout the match. (Photo: SNOC/ Eng Chin An)

Speaking to reporters, Prajogo explained that they had set out to play their own game, keen on giving their much-favoured opponents a good fight.

“For us, we wanted to enjoy and play our game and try to show what we can do against them. And there was a clear difference. But overall we enjoyed playing against them, we gained a lot of experience on how they play, how we should play against the top players around the world,” he said.

As the match wore on, the experience of the world championships bronze medallists started to show. They continued to pile on the aggression, as the Singaporean pair once again found themselves backed into playing defence, and closed out the match after taking the second set 21-9.

Speaking on the difference between them and their opponents, Nge said: “The overall quality of the shot, the pace, the speed, even the angle. Most of us try to hit hard, but that doesn't mean we have a very good quality. They were able to do both. And we are not used to these types of shots.”

Despite the one-sided scoreline, the pair were hardly deterred.

“It's a good feeling (to make the quarterfinals) and it's our debut also. So for us at our age, we really enjoyed playing in the Asian Games. And also we are grateful for the experience that they give us, that they send us here to compete,” Prajogo said.

Debutants Nge and Prajogo were one win away from a guaranteed bronze. (Photo: SNOC/ Eng Chin An)

Nge echoed his sentiments.

“It’s an honour to represent Singapore and (I am) also very excited to come (here) because normally all these players we only see on TV and watch them and now they are warming up beside us. So it's a wonderful experience and I will never forget.”

With a handful of regional tournaments in the works, the pair have already set their sights and focus on preparing for them.

In the earlier stages of the tournament, they dispatched Cambodian pair Rikreay Sok and Vannthoun Vath 2-0 (21-11, 21-11) in 23 minutes.

They followed that win with yet another mauling two days later, this time against Nepalese opponents Jivan Acharya and Bishnu Katuwal in a brisk 2-0 (21-11, 21-4) victory.

The 19th Asian Games are held in Hangzhou, China from 23 September to 8 October 2023. For the latest Team Singapore coverage and news, follow Team Singapore on their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) or visit the official Team Singapore website.