As the euphoria of the Rio Olympics comes to a close, it is generally the time to reflect and focus on the future. The main goal will be to make good athletes great and to convert the opportunities to successes. On the whole, there exists a tremendous amount of talent in the ASEAN region. Tapping these opportunities can make this region excel and maybe even surpass USA in future. In this article, we look at the 5 future superstars from the ASEAN region.
1) Dipika Pallikal Karthik
The promising Indian squash player has taken giant strides from 2011. She was the first Indian to break into the top 10 of the World Women’s Rankings and is currently ranked 19 in the world. An Asian Games bronze medal in women’s singles and a gold at the Commonwealth Games in women’s doubles is the silver lining in her career. Much recently, she also was a part of the gold medal winning Indian Women’s Team in the 2016 South Asian Games. These credentials and her talent make her one of the future superstars from the ASEAN region
2) Joseph Schooling
Joseph Issac Schooling is a Singaporean swimmer who jumped into the spotlight through his spectacular performance in the recently concluded Rio Olympics. He won gold in the 100 m butterfly event, attaining Singapore’s first ever Olympic gold. He also went ahead to set a national, Asian and Olympic record through his superlative efforts. Having idolized the swimming legend Michael Phelps all his life, as irony would have it, it was Phelps whom he pipped to win the gold. Joseph’s journey has been tough, filled with setbacks and serves as a great source of inspiration for one and all. He is definitely one of the future superstars from the ASEAN region.
3) Tommy Sugiarto
One of the brightest stars in the galaxy of badminton players from Asia, Tommy Sugiarto has taken the badminton world by storm. He is a singles specialist and is known for his agility and tactical stroke play. He is decorated with numerous titles, including those of Grand Prix Gold and Superseries events. He was also awarded with the bronze medal at the 2014 BWF World Championships. He also entertained the Indian crowds while representing the Delhi Acers in the Premier Badminton League 2016.He remained unbeaten and also defeated the world no. 1, Lee Chong Wei in a match.
4) Chanathip Songkrasin
Known as ‘Messi Jay’, Chanathip Songkrasin is one of the future superstars from the ASEAN region. Regarded as one of the best footballers in the entire Southeast Asian region, Songkrasin has played in both domestic (Muangthang United) and international levels (Thailand) with equal panache. He has constantly challenged the perception of short players not being able to do well in football with his supreme agility. He was named as the player of the year in the South East Asian region by the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). His ultimate goal is to lead Thailand to the final stage of the World Cup.
5) Ratnachok Intanon
The Thai badminton player, Ratnachok Intanon has already achieved superstar status. A world champion at the age of 18 and the first Thai to become No. 1 in women’s singles, Intanon’s achievements are second to none. Her quest to glory began a lot earlier when she was awarded the best female athlete award in Thailand after winning the world junior title for three successive years. The Thai flag bearer in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Intanon’s biggest dream is to win an elusive Olympic gold for her country. Considering the amount of time she has in her hands, this landmark achievement is bound to come soon.
