Lee siblings aim to carry on a family tradition
Benjamin and Megan look up to dad, a former national shuttler, for inspiration
"He has been an inspiration for me, having come from being a nobody in badminton to quickly breaking into the national team."
- Benjamin Lee, on his father Lee Suan Soon, a former national shuttler
As the children of former Singapore national shuttler Lee Suan Soon, it will come as no surprise that Benjamin, 16, and Megan, 13, both picked up the sport at a young age.
However, the siblings - both national youth shuttlers - had no idea that their father once represented Singapore in badminton. They learnt about it only after joining their primary school's badminton team.
The elder Lee was in the national team briefly and even played at the prestigious Thomas Cup. But he retired in 1990 at the age of 21, just before entering the National University of Singapore.
He was determined to let his children forge their own path, so he and his wife, a recreational badminton player, allowed Benjamin and Megan to try out different sports, from swimming to golf.
But both children eventually picked up the racket, just as their parents did.
The elder Lee, a 49-year-old senior manager at a security firm, said: "It was perhaps a subconscious effort not to tell them (about my sporting history) and badminton was actually the last sport we exposed them to.
“He has been an inspiration for me, having come from being a nobody in badminton to quickly breaking into the national team.”Benjamin Lee, on his father Lee Suan Soon, a former national shuttler
"We exposed them to sports because sports build character, but, as for badminton, they kind of built their own path themselves."
Since then, the siblings have gone from strength to strength, clinching podium finishes at regional competitions and even winning scholarships to further their passion for the sport at the Singapore Sports School.
The Lee siblings will have a chance to add another feather to their cap later this month.
They will be representing Singapore in the badminton team event at the 10th Asean Schools Games (ASG) in Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam, Malaysia, from July 19 to 27.
For Benjamin, the support from his father has been a driving force behind his steady rise.
He said: "Our father has never pressured us into playing badminton and, in fact, he encouraged us to try out different sports when we were younger.
"He has been an inspiration for me, having come from being a nobody in badminton to quickly breaking into the national team."
Megan, who picked up badminton after watching her brother play, echoed similar sentiments, saying: "My dad has been an inspiration, but my brother has also been a major influence. Looking at how hard he trained to enter the Sports School when he was 12 inspired me to want to go there myself."
Despite displaying an affinity with the racket, the siblings' successes have not come easy.
In addition to training an average of six hours daily, they also have five hours of classes, while the rest of the time is spent catching up on schoolwork and assignments.
Said Benjamin: "There were times I thought about quitting, but I am a perfectionist and I came here to prove to everyone that you can do both sports and studies."
This will be Megan's first time at the ASG, while it is the second time for her brother.
Heading into the competition, both have set their sights on a podium finish, while Benjamin will be looking to redeem himself after only making the reserves team last year.
The annual ASG features student-athletes under the age of 18 from South-east Asia.
This year's edition will see over 1,000 student-athletes from 10 Asean nations taking part, with Singapore sending 190 representatives in 10 sports from 40 schools.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
