Paddler Izaac Quek makes surprise Olympics debut at 18, says he was actually planning for 2028 Games

Izaac Quek is not your average teenager.

He has competed in numerous international table tennis tournaments since he was in primary school.

The national table-tennis player is the defending SEA Games singles gold medallist and has recently secured his place at the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024, which will take place from July to August.

All these career milestones were achieved before his 18th birthday. 

AsiaOne had the opportunity to speak to Izaac about his Olympic Games qualification and to find out more about how he discovered his passion for table tennis.

Unexpected qualification

"Youngest local-born table tennis player to qualify for the Olympics. How does it feel to hear that?" I asked Izaac.

I opened the interview in such a manner, hoping to gain insights into how he understood this momentous achievement.

Interestingly, Izaac was calm in his response, focusing on the unexpected nature of this qualification.

He replied: "My main goal was actually to qualify for the 2028 Olympics."

However, Izaac explained that his performance improved over the last year or two, and this made qualifying for the 2024 Olympics a possibility.

On May 10, he beat Thai veteran Phakpoom Sanguasin, 41, at the Southeast Asian Regional Qualification Tournament final 7-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-3, 11-5, 11-5 to secure his spot at the Olympics, said the Singapore Table Tennis Association in a news release.

"It's just a lot of relief that I finally reached my goal for this year and I'm definitely very happy, and I can just play the rest of the year without any pressure," Izaac told AsiaOne.

Izaac's parents flew out to Bangkok to catch the final live and got to witness their son create Singapore table-tennis history.

He clearly has a strong bond with his parents noting the vital role they have played in his professional development and being his pillar of strength both on and off the court.

Whether it's preparing him a meal overseas or just spending quality time together, Izaac cherishes those moments and admits that it "keeps his mind off all the stress" of being a national paddler.

It started when he was seven

Choosing a first co-curricular activity (CCA) can be an exciting task for primary school students.

But Izaac's choice of CCA then has also ended up becoming his career.

So what was it about table tennis that drew him towards the sport?

He told AsiaOne that it all started when he came across a table tennis table while on vacation with his family.

That was his first time playing table tennis, and he hasn't looked back since.

"I quite enjoyed it so I just chose table tennis. Something of a coincidence, I guess," Izaac said.

And just like that, his life trajectory altered.

In his early primary-school days, Izaac was swimming competitively too, but by the time he turned eight, a decision had to be made.

Table tennis or swimming? This was a no brainer for him.

"You get to communicate with your friends during table tennis training, [get to] play and laugh. Unlike swimming, where you just swim by yourself," he explained rather matter-of-factly.

Izaac's calm and collected demeanour does make you forget just how young he really is.

His humble nature also comes through naturally, and he was quick to ensure that his parents were not left out of the conversation.

"They were always very supportive and I'm very grateful for that," he said.

By the time he was 10, Izaac had already been playing age-group tournaments both locally and overseas.

He was exposed to different players and various playing styles, and this further spurred his interest in the sport.

Izaac said: "That's when I realised I could be a table tennis player."

Balancing act

Izaac enrolled into the Singapore Sports School at the age of 13, and his secondary school experience was rather unique.

For one, he was overseas "half the time" for training and international competitions.

But being an elite youth athlete did not relinquish him of his responsibilities as a student either. 

When he returned home, it was back to being a regular student. This meant that makeup lessons and exams were part of his regular routine.

"It was definitely very tough," Izaac admitted.

Time management and self-discipline were skills he had to pick up early in his teenage life.

On a regular school day, training might end at around 9.30pm but if there was homework to be done, his day was far from over.

He added: "At the start, I had to get used to it but it is a sacrifice everyone has to take in order to be an athlete."

Despite his meteoric rise in recent years, Izaac does not want to limit his aspirations and how far he can go in the sport.

"There's a lot I can achieve in the future. I just try to enjoy as much as I can," he said.

As for this year's Olympics, Izaac is conscious of not putting himself under too much pressure and simply wants to approach the tournament as a "learning experience".

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amierul@asiaone.com

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