Indonesia's Janice Tjen to miss Asian Games

Indonesian tennis player Janice Tjen will miss the upcoming Asian Games after she was not granted an exemption by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) to compete in the continental meet.

In a post on Friday, Tjen said the decision was not an easy one to make.

“After a lot of consideration, I’ve had to make the difficult decision that I won’t be able to compete at the Asian Games this year, which take place at the same time as the mandatory WTA 1000 event in Beijing,” Tjen said.

“We have received confirmation from the WTA that unfortunately, I have not been granted an exemption to compete at the Asian Games.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Janice Tjen (@janicetjen)

The Asian Games tennis tournament coincides with the China Open in Beijing, which starts on September 30.

“This was not an easy decision for me. I always enjoy representing Indonesia and playing for the national team whenever I can,” said Tjen, an Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games medalist.

“I will continue to do my best to make Indonesia proud on the world stage, and I hope to have the opportunity to represent our country again in the future.”

Fellow Southeast Asian tennis star Alex Eala, meanwhile, said she will represent the Philippines at the Asian Games. The Philippine Tennis Association said it is in talks with the WTA regarding her participation.

READ MORE | EXPLAINER: Why Alex Eala could be sanctioned for skipping China Open for Asian Games

—JKC, GMA News