Brave Teh gets up to take Thailand Masters crown

Fall down seven times, get up eight is a Japanese proverb about resilience. It is also the perfect description for Jason Teh's professional badminton career.

- David Lee

At the eighth time of asking, he finally got his hands on his first international title after beating China's Wang Zhengxing 21-18, 15-21, 21-19 in the Thailand Masters men's singles final on Feb 2.

The elated 24-year-old told The Straits Times: "I was lucky to win today. Honestly, either of us could have won the final. But I have definitely learnt a lot from my past losses, and the experience helped me with this victory."

Following his winning smash, he threw his racket to the ground—breaking it and his hoodoo—and took off his jersey to expose a full-chest tattoo with the words "Be Fearless Be Brave".

In the final of the US$240,000 (S$325,000) Super 300 event at the Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok, he was all these and more.

He came out with all guns blazing with quick reflexes and even faster smashes to take an early lead.

Each time Wang threatened a comeback, Teh responded and deservedly won the opening game.

Before the final, the Singaporean's head-to-head record with his 39th-ranked rival was 1-1. But he had his own demons to conquer after losing all his previous seven finals, including five in 2024.