Terry Hee’s badminton future is uncertain, but he has a post-career plan

SINGAPORE – Over the past three months, a cloud has loomed over national badminton player Terry Hee’s future as he continues his search for a new doubles partner following the end of his partnership with Indonesian Gloria Widjaja in March.

Although their collaboration lasted just two months, the pair showed promising signs, notching a 6-4 win-loss record before Gloria reunited with compatriot Rehan Kusharjanto, who returned from a serious knee injury.

While Hee’s hunt has not hit a breakthrough, the 30-year-old is determined to keep going.

His future as a badminton player may be uncertain, but his post-career plans are not. On May 22, Hee received a timely boost when he was named one of four inaugural scholarship recipients alongside Loh Kean Yew, Jason Teh and Jin Yujia at a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing between the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) and the PSB Academy (PSBA).

At the ceremony held at the PSB Academy City Campus in Marina Square, it was announced that the five-year partnership will see SBA select up to 10 athletes to receive full scholarships – valued at about $300,000 in total – from PSBA.

Hee said: “This partnership is really great for athletes in Singapore because it provides another option for athletes who plan to (pursue sports) full-time.

“It’s impossible to juggle sports and studies, especially in badminton – it’s very tough. You need to go full-time and fully focus, then only you can see the hope in excelling in it.

“There’s also Sport Singapore’s spexEducation (Sport Excellence Education launched in 2025), so hopefully this sets the path for more institutions to support high-performance athletes.”

His wife Jessica Tan, who won a historic gold medal with him at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, was part of the first batch of athletes awarded the spexEducation Undergraduate Scholarship.

The spexEducation scholarship supports athletes in universities who are pursuing their studies while training and competing, as well as those seeking sponsorship of their undergraduate studies after their sporting careers.

Tan, who paused her studies at Nanyang Technological University in 2011 to focus on badminton full-time, retired from competitive sport in 2025 to pursue a degree in sport management at the University of Bath.

“At the time I was thinking whether I wanted to join her, but I still continued to play and thankfully (the partnership with) PSB Academy came along,” said Hee, who previously completed a diploma in sports and leisure management at Republic Polytechnic.

Singapore’s world No. 14 Loh welcomed the support, noting that it provides athletes the option to prioritise their sporting careers first while ensuring they do not compromise on their education.

“It’s good for our athletes because it’s a career for them, it’s something they can do after they play, and they can choose to pursue sports first and put their studies on hold,” said the 28-year-old, who dropped out of school when he was 18 to focus on his badminton career.

“You can’t really wait to do sports when you’re older, but you can do that with your studies.

“It is a risk, but it’s something that can be done now.”

Scholarship recipients can take up any course offered by the PSBA and they can do so during their careers or after retirement.

Beyond the scholarship, the partnership will extend from 2027 to selected SBA athletes and staff to support them in balancing academic development with sporting excellence, while strengthening education pathways for future players.

It will also expand practical learning opportunities for PSBA students, including practicum opportunities for sports science students from its partner, Edith Cowan University.

Students from the private tertiary institution will also have opportunities to volunteer at the annual Singapore Badminton Open, starting with the upcoming edition from May 26 to 31 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

In his address at the ceremony on May 22, SBA chief executive Woo Kaiwei said: “We are always committed to driving excellence at every level, supporting our athletes to perform at their best on court while also nurturing their growth, discipline and character off court.

“Based on this strong alignment of values between SBA and PSB Academy, I’m very happy to share that the partnership we’re inking today is both multi-faceted and anchored in long-term commitment.”

Guest of honour Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, and Trade and Industry, also attended the ceremony.

PSBA chief executive Derrick Chang added: “We aim to build a stronger and more sustainable talent pipeline for Singapore’s sporting industry, supporting not only athletes but also future coaches, sports scientists, practitioners and professionals who will shape the future of our sporting ecosystem.”