By George Fairchild
Staff Writer
For the majority of high school athletes competing at the state at the state level is the toughest competition they will ever face but Aston Khor has gone by beyond the boundaries of state and has taken on the world.
Aston Khor is one of the top junior badminton players in the United States and after proving himself at a national level he has travelled with Team USA to Thailand, where he will have a chance to shine on the international stage.
In February, Khor travelled to Los Angeles for the Junior International trial and after three days of matches from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Khor earned a spot on the team and in all three individual events. Over 300 aspiring badminton players participated in the tournament and only a handful made it onto the team.
Khor recently returned home from Bangkok where team USA competed against 34 other countries from around the world in the Under 19 division.
“Representing the U.S. is interesting,” Khor said. “Just having your shirt with USA printed on the back makes you feel as if you’re bearing the weight and pressure of making your country proud.”
In 2010, Khor competed in the doubles event in the Under 15 division winning a gold medal.
Travelling to Thailand has helped Khor learn a lot about the Thai culture and has allowed him to meet lots of new people from around the world that share the same passion.
“Seeing so many different countries and meeting many of them was really humbling. Communicating with them was tough because of the language barrier,” Khor said. “It’s amazing to think that so many people from so many different cultures can come together and play the same sport with the same rules and have competitive matches.”
“Athletically he is very good and he is already a world player” said Khor’s coach, Greg Okonghae, “I see him as a top world player in the future.”
The tournament started on Oct. 23 and finished on Nov. 3. Although Khor didn’t medal it has given Khor valuable experience as he looks to further his badminton career.
“I think it’s a real possibility to go to the Olympics,” Khor said. “It’d be a lot of hard work but definitely something I have a chance for.”
This tournament provides Khor with a chance to prove how good he is and will give him valuable experience as he aims for Olympic success.
