SINGAPORE — In a bittersweet conclusion to their maiden Olympic Games, Singapore’s mixed doubles duo Terry Hee and Jessica Tan signed off with a resounding 21-17, 21-12 victory over American pair Vinson Chiu and Jennie Gai in a dead-rubber match.

The win however, came too little, too late, as the Singaporean pair’s earlier setbacks in their opening two encounters ultimately proved fatal to their knockout stage aspirations.

Despite their elimination from the group stage, their performance earned praise from Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law.

Mr Tong affectionately described Hee and Tan as “partners both on and off the court”, highlighting the duo’s enduring bond that transcends their sporting success.

He noted that since their triumphant debut as a mixed doubles pairing at the 2014 Singapore International, they have captivated the hearts of many Singaporeans.

“I remember Terry saying that they had put off their honeymoon for their once-in-a-lifetime chance to qualify for the Olympics when they got married in 2021. It paid off.” recalled Minister Tong.

“In 2022, they made a fairytale run, clinching the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, followed by victories at the India Open Super 500 and the Orleans Masters and finally secured their spots at the Olympics in May this year,” posted the Minister on his Facebook page.

Husband-and-wife pair Hee and Tan made history as the first local-born mixed doubles pair to don the Singapore colours at the Olympic Games, and the second since Hendri Saputra and Li Yujia’s appearance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Saputra and Li’s Olympic campaign, however, was cut short in the first round, as they fell 12-21, 14-21 to Denmark’s Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Juhl, a setback that only fueled the nation’s badminton aspirations

Hee and Tan began their 2024 Olympic Games Group D campaign at the 8,000-seat Porte de la Chapelle Arena in Paris on Jul 27, against the ninth-ranked Malaysian pair, Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei.

Although they put up a valiant fight, displaying remarkable skill and determination against their Malaysian opponents, the Team Singapore pair ultimately succumbed to defeat, losing the match in two hotly contested sets, 21-23, 12-21.

With their quarter-final aspirations hanging precariously in the balance, the Singapore mixed doubles team summoned every ounce of skill and determination to mount a formidable challenge against the world number-two pair, Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping.

Despite delivering a spirited performance, showing flashes of brilliance and grit, Hee and Tan fell to a heart-wrenching second defeat in their Olympics Games journey, 13-21, 17-21 against their Chinese opponents.

Despite the defeats, Tan found solace in her Olympic Games debut, describing the experience as nothing short of exhilarating.

‘The atmosphere in the arena is electrifying! Definitely a whole new ball game, different from what I’ve ever experienced before,’ she exclaimed.

However, she remained resolute, vowing to learn from the experience as she shared in her Instagram post, “No win today (Jul 28) against the reigning Olympic champion which means that we will not be able to proceed into the top eight.”

“It has been tough for us to bring out our best level here with all the nerves & expectations, but we will try again.”

Fellow Team Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew won his opening men’s singles Group M match 21-13, 21-10 against Czech Republic’s Jan Louda on Jul 28. He will next face Uriel Canjura from El Salvador, currently 50th in the world ranking. A win will ensure Loh makes his first appearance at the knockout round in the Olympic Games.

Loh will be fueled by a burning desire to exorcise the demons of his previous Olympic Games outing, where he suffered a heartbreaking group stage exit.

He made a triumphant start, dispatching Aram Mahmoud from the Olympic Refugee Team with a convincing 21-15, 21-12 victory in his opening match.

However, his momentum was short-lived, as he surrendered to a heart-wrenching 20-22, 21-13, 18-21 defeat at the hands of Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie in the decisive final group encounter, crushing his hopes of advancing to the knockout stage in Tokyo, Japan.

Main photo credit: Sport Singapore / Jeremy Lee