Commonwealth Games 2022: Local teens Angela and Jack Yu to carry on family badminton legacy

An eastern suburbs brother-sister combination will be out to carry on a proud family tradition on the Australian badminton team at next month’s Commonwealth Games.

They’re the siblings out to follow the family legacy at the Commonwealth Games.

The recently unveiled line-up of 10 to represent the Aussie Falcons badminton team next month in Birmingham is set to feature local brother-sister duo Angela and Jack Yu.

And the Mount Waverley products are hellbent on following in the footsteps of their medal-winning mother.

Nineteen-year-old Angela and 17-year-old Jack have known no different than the sport all their lives.

Siblings Angela and Jack Yu will be out to do their parents proud at the Commonwealth Games. Picture: AAP

The pair have represented on the junior world stage and played doubles together at the 2018 junior Oceania championships – and haven’t looked back since.

Mother, He Tian Tang, won bronze medals for Australia at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, and for China at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Father Ricky also played for the Chinese national team.

The teenagers will be shooting for the Falcons’ first Commonwealth Games gold medal since 1994.

“Every time when I was little I’d see (Mum) play tournaments with some really famous people, so I was brought up to follow her footsteps – I wanted to, it wasn’t forced,” Angela said.

“Badminton means a lot to me because I grew up playing.”

Jack, who is studying year 12 in Brisbane, echoed his older sister’s sentiments and has his sights set on taking on the open-age world one day.

“It was the place we were brought up – badminton makes me feel like home,” he said.

“It’s really helped me a lot in studies, knowing a lot of people and keep fit.

“I’m very grateful for this position, being selected motivates me to push myself in the future and achieve the goals that I want and make my parents proud.

“My big dream is to step on the Olympic stage and hold the gold medal.”

They’ll be joined by Doncaster local Nathan Tang, who broke through for his Commonwealth Games berth after 11 years.

Nathan Tang has broken through for his Commonwealth Games debut after 11 years. Picture: Badminton Victoria

He’s known Angela and Jack their whole lives, having been coached by their mother and father for most of his career after taking up badminton at 13 years of age.

Tang’s journey has been highlighted by a recent finals berth at the 2022 Oceania championships, defeating a top-100 player for the first time – the reigning champion and no. 1 seed no less.

The 31-year-old describes his call-up to the national team as a “huge sigh of relief”.

“When I started at the age of 13, Angela wasn’t even one, and Jack wasn’t even born yet,” Tang said.

“I guess when I got the news I definitely cried … what it meant for me was 11 years of hard work paid off.

“That weight just came off (and) when I got that news, I felt like I could breathe. It was huge.”

Tang believes experience sealed his spot on the team this time, with previous disappointment serving a valuable lesson.

“You focus so much on the tournaments, you forget the present,” Tang said.

“This time around I can honestly say when we played the nationals and Oceania champs, I never actually thought about the Commonwealth Games team, I just wanted to play my best badminton possible.

“It only took me 11 years to put it into action.”

The trio are among eight debutants in the team.

Kaitlyn Ea (18 years old, Keysborough), Tiffany Ho (24, Strathfield, NSW), Yingxiang Lin (24, South Lake, WA), Tran Hoang Pham (37, Canterbury, NSW) and Jacob Schueler (24, Grovedale, Vic) round out the first timers.

Brunswick East’s Gronya Somerville will be heading to a third Commonwealth Games, with the 27-year-old having previously represented in 2014 and 2018.

Hsuan-Yu (Wendy) Chen (28, Parkville, QLD) will be taking on her second following a 2018 berth.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be held from July 28 to August 8.