Tay Wei Ming, Team Singapore’s number 1 national para shuttler, has always wanted to compete in the Paralympic Games, but he needs the public’s help to make his dream true.
The 34-year-old has reached out to The Independent Singapore, extending his request for the financial assistance given the challenges he faces as an independent athlete.
“I have been competing for the nation since 2008, and my proudest achievement would be (being) crowned as a 2017 Doubles World Champion,” he said.
Still, he’s always dreamed of qualifying for the Paralympics since he was young.
“However, just like how we face different challenges in our lives, reaching that goal has been made tougher ever since the pandemic hit,” he noted.
“I am still fighting to keep that dream alive,” said Tay, referring to the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.
Despite being born with Erb’s Palsy, a condition of muscle weakness in the arm or shoulder, Tay has been pushing through with his competitive spirit.
He explained that to be as best prepared as possible to secure that spot, he needs to push up and maintain his world ranking in the next two years.
“As such, this can only be achieved by participating in as many international competitions whenever possible in order to accumulate a substantial amount of ranking points.”
Tay, along with the Singapore Disability Sports Council, has started a crowdfunding campaign to help him travel to those international competitions.
They aim to reach S$64,000, with around S$9,100 already raised.
According to the campaign details, donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar under the One Team Singapore Fund (OTSF).
Members of the public interested in supporting Tay can do so here. /TISG
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