Monday, August 31, 2009

Choong Hann Knocked Out In Final


KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's Wong Choong Hann had to be contented with runner-up position when he lost to Vietnam's Nguyen Tien Minh in the men's singles final of the Taiwan Open badminton championship here Sunday.

According to the tournament's website, Choong Hann lost to Tien Minh in straight sets of 11-21 and 14-21.

Yesterday, the 32-year-old Malaysian had succeeded in knocking out Indonesia's Taufik Hidayat in 21-18 and 21-16 in the semifinal.

Last week, Choong Hann also had to play bridesmaid when he lost to compatriot Datuk Lee Chong Wei in 21-15, 21-19 in the Macau Open final.

The last time Choon Hann won the Taiwan Open was in 2003 when he beat Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro in the final.

The mixed doubles title was won by Indian pair Valiyaveetil Diju/ Jwala Gutta after they defeated Indonesian pair Hendra Aprida Gunawan/ Vita Marissa in 23-21, 21-18 in the final.

The hosts bagged two titles -- women's singles and mens doubles.

In the women's singles, Shao Chieh Cheng defeated Seung Hee Bae of South Korea in 17-21, 21-12, 21-15 while their men's pair of Hong Ling Chen/Yu Lang Lin defeated Hong Kong pair Yohan Hadikusumo Wiramata/Wai Hong Wong in 14-21, 21-12, 21-19.

China only took the women's doubles title when their world 17th ranked pair Yang Wei/Zhang Jiewen defeated the Indonesian-United States combination pair of Vita Marissa/Mona Santosa in 21-14, 21-9.

-- BERNAMA

Thursday, August 27, 2009

No future being in comfort zone


2009/08/25

K.M. Boopathy

LEE Chong Wei and top doubles pair Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong were back to winning ways in the Macau Open but in all honesty, it's nothing much to shout about.

Malaysian fans are used to seeing the national players achieve success on a regular basis in Super Series and grand prix events, so Macau was not that exciting.

Although it is good that Chong Wei, the World No 1, and Kien Keat-Boon Heong proved that their recent failure in the World Championships in Hyderabad didn't have a psychological effect on them, it also shows that they can perform when the pressure is off as most of the big guns were missing in Macau. This mentality will probably ensure they remain in their comfort zones and fail to meet the high expectations and the mental test one encounters in the Olympics or World Championships.

It looks impressive to see Chong Wei winning his fifth international crown in eight months but a major title is still missing from his resume.


And winning the Macau Open could have a reverse effect on Chong Wei as he may not want to come out of his comfort zone and this could stop him from achieving his true potential the bigger tournaments like next year's World Championships in Paris and beyond.

Where Kien Keat-Boon Heong are concerned, each an every one of their success only underlines the fact that they have been a wasted talent thus far and they too should start shooting for bigger titles.

While Chong Wei on his day can beat the best, the performances of Hafiz Hashim and Kuan Beng Hong, and the elite back-up shuttlers have been found wanting yet again. They have been with the national squad for more than three years and are still struggling to make a breakthrough, some have even lost to China's junior players like Wang Zhengming and Gao Huan and this is a major cause for concern.

While recently hired Indonesian coach Hendrawan is known for turning average players into quality internationals, after being with the elite back-up shuttlers for a month, he knows he has his work cut out for him.

Hendrawan has to turn their fortunes around fast or start looking to younger talents like Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin, Zulfadli Zulkifli, Syawal Ismail and Misbun Ramdan Misbun instead of putting too much hope on the stagnant elite back-up shuttlers.

Players like Tan Chun Seang, Liew Daren, Chong Wei Feng and Arif Latif have had numerous chances over the last two years and if they continue to fail, should be phased out to make way for the younger players before they too fall into a rut.

Chance for Khim Wah-Peng Soon to establish their partnership

Wednesday, 26 August 2009
By LIM TEIK HUAT

Attention will be on whether young Malaysian pair Lim Khim Wah-Chan Peng Soon can maintain the momentum of a fairy-tale run in the Thailand Open last month at the Taiwan Open beginning today.

In only their first appearance in a men’s doubles final of an Open tournament in Bangkok, Khim Wah-Peng Soon upset seasoned campaigners and top seeds Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah.

They defeated another former top Malaysian pair, Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng, in the quarter-finals and turned the tables on Ma­­­laysian Open runners-up Alven Yulianto-Hendra Gunawan of Indonesia in the semi-finals.
Crucial test: The Taiwan Open will be Chan Peng Soon (left) and Lim Khim Wah’s second international tournament this year. — Bernama

The Taiwan Open is their second international outing for the year and Khim Wah-Peng Soon have another shot at proving why their partnership should be retained.

Ironically, they again have Chong Ming-Choon Eng and the third seeded Indonesian pair in their half of the draw.

Also in the same half are world championship runners-up and top seeded Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung of South Korea. And national doubles coach Pang Cheh Chang said that he would consider it an impressive outing if Khim Wah-Peng Soon could make it to the semi-finals.

“They won a Grand Prix title in their first appearance in a final but we should not read too much into that. Their consistency and mental composure are not as steady as our more established pairs, among them Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boong Heong,” he said before leaving with the players for Taiwan on Monday.

“They play without any pressure in the men’s doubles as they also have roles to play in the mixed doubles. Their partnership is not permanent and we will evaluate them after a few tournaments. It will be great if they can have another good run ... we are not putting too much pressure on them.”

The other Malaysian doubles pairs in the fray are Ong Soon Hock-Hoon Thien How, Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen, Mak Hee Chun-Tan Wee Kiong and second seeds Tan Fook-Wan Wah.

In the men’s singles, seniors Hafiz Hashim and Kuan Beng Hong together with four back-up players Liew Daren, Tan Chun Seang, Chong Wei Feng and Arif Latif, who are under the charge of Indonesian Hendrawan, will be out to make amends for their disappointing outing in the Macau Open last week.

Hafiz is not expected to face any trouble in the first round where he meets a qualifier while the second round should also be easy as he is likely to play against Japan’s Koichi Saeki.

However, he is not expected to get past the third round in a probable match against second seed Park Sung-hwan of South Korea. Hafiz was also shown the exit at the same stage in Macau.

Beng Hong should clear the first two rounds but it will be tough for him in an expected third round match against Indonesian Andre Kurniawan Tedjono.

Wei Feng, who plays against a qualifier in the first round, is not expected to get past the second-round match against Sung-hwan.

Daren is expected to face a tough time today against Hong Ji-hoon of South Korea while Chun Seang has an uphill task to get past top seed Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia. Macau Open runner-up Wong Choong Hann, seeded sixth, will be gunning for another final appearance from the same half of the draw.

Courtesy of The Star

Monday, August 24, 2009

Wong Choong Hann still BOLEH!!!

WCH
Hooo~~finally I defeated Chen Jin..
Tired Man


In my opinion,although WCH defeated by LCW in Macau Open...but I think WCH was doing much better than LCW...WCH keep on smashing...smash...smash...GOOD JOB!!!WCH.!!!!KAMU MASIH BOLEH....












WMC is soo pretty

Macau Open...

click 2 enlarge

World No. 1 Datuk Lee Chong Wei won the men's singles title at the Macau Open when he beat compatriot, veteran shuttler Wong Choong Hann in the final of the championship today.

In the first set, Chong Wei won 21-15 before Choon Hann put up a stronger fight, but Chong Wei denied him victory by scoring 21-19 in a match that took 36 minutes.

With this victory, Chong Wei redeemed his loss to Athens Olympics 2004 champion Taufik Hidayat in last year's Macau Open final.

Meanwhile, Malaysia's No. 1 pair Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong won the men''s doubles title when they defeated fellow Malaysians Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah with scores of 21-14, 17-21, 21-12 in 34 minutes.


The women's doubles title went to China's Du Jing-Yu Yang who beat another Chinese pair of Yang Wei-Zhang Jiewen 21-16, 21-11 in a match that took only 23 minutes.

China took the mixed doubles title when their pair He Hanbin-Yu Yang beat the Indonesian pair of Hendra Aprida Gunawan-Vita Marissa in 21-14, 21-9.

The women's singles title also went to China Wang Yihan who beat compatriot Jiang Yanjioa in scores of 16-21, 22-20, 21-12 in 59 minutes. - Bernama

Sunday, August 23, 2009

FINAL!!!!!!

RESULTS -- (all S-Finals) Men's Singles: Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Taufik Hidayat (Ina) 21-18, 22-20; Wong Choong Hann (Mas) bt Chen Jin (Chn) 21-13, 6-21, 21-11.

Doubles: Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (Mas) bt Chai Biao-Zhang Nan (Chn) 21-14, 21-16; Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah (Mas) bt Wifqi Windarto-Afiat Yuris Wirawan (Ina) 21-13, 21-15.

Women's Singles: Jiang Yanjiao (Chn) bt Wang Chen (HK) 21-9, 21-14; Wang Yihan (Chn) bt Juliane Schenk (Ger) 23-21, 21-7.

Doubles: Du Jing-Yu Yang (Chn) bt Zhang Dan-Zhang Zhibo (Chn) 21-10, 21-17; Yang Wei-Zhang Jiewen (Chn) bt Gao Ling-Wei Yili (Chn) 21-13, 21-18.

Mixed Doubles: He Hanbin-Yu Yang (Chn) bt Mikkel Delbo Larsen-Mie Schjott Kristensen (Den) 21-14, 21-10; Hendra Gunawan-Vita Marissa (Ina) bt Chen Zhiben-Zhang Jinkang (Chn) 24-22, 17-21, 21-13



Wohoo........i'm quite surprised dat Wong Choong Hann defeated Chen Jin in Semifinal..Good LUCK!!!

Macau Open 2009

Lee Chong Wei(He is soo cute babe)
Misbun giving some advices 2 LCW
Lee CW in action..
kkk&TBH
These are the photos of Macau Open 2009...Wish them good luck in FINAL...AZA AZA FIGHTING!!!

Side News








the top 2 pictures is our player's signature,cool right??N I think Wong Mew Choo is quite beautiful....do u guys think so??

Malaysians dominate Macau

Sunday, 23 August 2009

K.M. Boopathy

IF only this was the World Championships held in Hyderabad last week.

That could be the thought of the national shuttlers as the men's singles and men's doubles will feature all-Malaysia finals in the Macau Open today.

World No 1 Lee Chong Wei, who crashed out in the quarter-finals of the world meet in Hyderabad, was unruffled as he snatched a 21-18, 22-20 win over former Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia in the semi-final encounter which lasted 38 minutes.

Wong Choong Hann seems to have turned back the clock when he toppled a tired-looking Chen Jin of China, silver medallist in last week's World Championships, 21-13, 6-21, 21-11 in 40 minutes to set up a clash with Chong Wei.
Wong Choong Hann surprised Chen Jin.
Wong Choong Hann surprised Chen Jin.


It was revenge for Choong Hann who was given a thrashing by Chen Jin in the third round last week.

Men's doubles World No 2 Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, who fell in the semi-finals in Hyderabad, secured an easy 21-14, 21-16 win over Chai Biao-Zhang Nan of China. They will meet compatriots Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah in the final.

Tan Fook-Wan Wah, dumped in the first round in Hyderabad, defeated Indonesia's back-up pair Wifqi Windarto-Afiat Yuris Wirawan 21-13, 21-15.

National team manager Hau Kim Tho, in a telephone interview from Macau, said Chong Wei looked exhausted but the title should be in his bag today.

"Chong Wei should not have problems although the two weeks probably have taken a toll on him. Choong Hann will be boosted by the win but an upset doesn't look possible tomorrow (today)," said Kim Tho.

"Chen Jin really looked exhausted and it is good that Choong Hann took advantage. The good thing is that we have already confirmed both titles and the only surprise we can expect is in the men's doubles which can go either way."

Tan Fook-Wan Wah started the event by beating the United States' Tony Gunawan-Howard Bach who had sent the Malaysian pair packing in the World Championships.

They won the India Open but lost in the Thailand Open last month. Wan Wah is looking forward to taking the fight to Kien Keat-Boon Heong.

"This is our third final of the year and hopefully, we can go on to win the title. However, Kien Keat-Boon Heong are playing very well here and have secured their victories so far in straight games and it is going to be tough," said Wan Wah in a telephone interview from Macau.

"We played them in the final twice in 2007 where we won at the Asian Championships but lost in Macau. We will try to turn it around this time."

RESULTS -- (all S-Finals) Men's Singles: Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Taufik Hidayat (Ina) 21-18, 22-20; Wong Choong Hann (Mas) bt Chen Jin (Chn) 21-13, 6-21, 21-11.

Doubles: Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (Mas) bt Chai Biao-Zhang Nan (Chn) 21-14, 21-16; Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah (Mas) bt Wifqi Windarto-Afiat Yuris Wirawan (Ina) 21-13, 21-15.

Women's Singles: Jiang Yanjiao (Chn) bt Wang Chen (HK) 21-9, 21-14; Wang Yihan (Chn) bt Juliane Schenk (Ger) 23-21, 21-7.

Doubles: Du Jing-Yu Yang (Chn) bt Zhang Dan-Zhang Zhibo (Chn) 21-10, 21-17; Yang Wei-Zhang Jiewen (Chn) bt Gao Ling-Wei Yili (Chn) 21-13, 21-18.

Mixed Doubles: He Hanbin-Yu Yang (Chn) bt Mikkel Delbo Larsen-Mie Schjott Kristensen (Den) 21-14, 21-10; Hendra Gunawan-Vita Marissa (Ina) bt Chen Zhiben-Zhang Jinkang (Chn) 24-22, 17-21, 21-13.

Courtesy of New Straits Times

Showdown in Macau again

Saturday, 22 August 2009

K.M. Boopathy

WORLD No 1 Lee Chong Wei, hoping to make up for the disappointment of last week's World Championships in Hyderabad, has set up a semi-final showdown with former Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia in the Macau Open.

Chong Wei, who fell in the quarter-finals in Hyderabad, faced no problems against India's Chetan Anand yesterday and secured a 21-10, 21-14 win in 26 minutes.

Taufik, whp had an easy 21-16, 21-14 win over Hsieh Yu Hsing of Taiwan in 31 minutes, will not lack confidence against Chong Wei, having beaten the Malaysian in the final last year.

Veteran Wong Choong Hann also put a forgettable World Championships campaign behind him by beating Arvind Bhat of India 21-19, 18-21, 21-6 in 52 minutes to enter the last four.
Lee Chong Wei (left) and Taufik Hidayat will meet in the semi-final of the Macau Open.
Lee Chong Wei (left) and Taufik Hidayat will meet in the semi-final of the Macau Open.


Choong Hann will set up a rematch today against second seed Chen Jin of China, whom the Malaysian lost to in the third round of the World Championships last week.

Chen Jin defeated Hu Yun of Hong Kong 21-10, 21-19 in a quarter-final match.

Men's doubles Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, the World No 2, closed in on their fourth title of the year when they reached the semi-finals with a 21-13, 21-14 win over Liu Xiaolong-Qiu Zihan of China in 23 minutes.

They will next meet another pair from China Chai Biao-Zhang Nan, who toppled Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng 19-21, 21-16, 21-17 in 53 minutes.

Veterans Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah also continued their fine run by beating Hwang Ji Man-Kim Ki Jung of South Korea 21-15, 21-13 and will play Indonesia's Wifqi Windarto-Afiat Yuris Wirawan, who beat Sun Junjie-Tao Jiaming of China 21-19, 21-16 for a place in the final.

Razif Latif-Woon Khe Wei crashed out in the quarter-finals of the mixed doubles when they were beaten 21-12, 20-22, 21-15 in 44 minutes by Indonesians Hendra Gunawan-Vita Marissa.

Q-FINAL RESULTS -- (Malaysia unless stated) Men's Singles: Lee Chong Wei bt Chetan Anand (Ind) 21-10, 21-14; Taufik Hidayat (Ina) bt Hsieh Yu Hsing (Tai) 21-16, 21-14; Wong Choong Hann bt Arvind Bhat (Ind) 21-19 18-21 21-6; Chen Jin (Chn) bt Hu Yun (HK) 21-10, 21-19.

Doubles: Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong bt Liu Xiaolong-Qiu Zihan (Chn) 21-13, 21-14; Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah bt Hwang Ji Man-Kim Ki Jung (Kor) 21-15, 21-13; Chai Biao-Zhang Nan (Chn) bt Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng 19-21, 21-16, 21-17.

Women's Singles: Wang Yihan (Chn) bt Yip Pui Yin (HK) 12-21, 21-8, 21-17; Juliane Schenk (Ger) bt Sung Ji Hyun (Kor) 21-18, 21-5.

Doubles: Du Jing-Yu Yang (Chn) bt Helle Nielsen-Marie Ropke (Den) 21-13, 21-7.

Mixed Doubles: Hendra Gunawan-Vita Marissa (Ina) bt Razif Latif-Woon Khe Wei 21-12, 20-22, 21-15.

Courtesy of New Straits Times

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Julia Wong's injury









Still remember our women's single player-Julia Wong???Due 2 her leg injury,she could not participate any tournament for this year.Oh ya,she injured her knee when playing in Sudirman Cup..Sigh~~Hope she get well soon.Let's give her fully support!!!Julia Wong boleh!!!Malaysia Boleh!!

Friday, August 21, 2009

A Conversation with the Champion



Part 1

The first name that pops into any Malaysian mind at the very mention of badminton is surely Lee Chong Wei. It's not surprising though, since he is the current World Number 1 singles player.

But how does the young 26 year old feel about the other title that he's recently picked up? "It's truly an honour to be
given the title 'Datuk' after my efforts at the Olympics. Though it still feels weird to hear myself being called that, I am getting used to it somehow," he quoted at an exclusive Maxis luncheon in La Bodega, Bangsar.

The luncheon, which preceded a private photoshoot with his coach Misbun Sidek, served as a casual 'chit chat' session with the young 'Datuk'. Relaxed in his sporty 'chill-out' attire, Chong Wei coolly chatted about his passions and his pursuits for the future.
What drives him forward?

Illustrious titles aside, Lee Chong Wei hasn’t had enough. The passion to keep going is what motivates him to strive forward. "What drives me is my constant need to reward myself. For example, before going to the Olympics I set myself
a goal of buying a house. By setting these goals, I will push myself harder to achieve a win. It’s hard work, but this attitude has taken me far."

His coach Datuk Misbun Sidek also plays a big part in keeping him motivated. An ex badminton champion himself, Misbun is well aware of what it takes to keep the positive energy flowing through a player."He always motivates and encourages me. He is my mentor, as well as a friend. I’ll always ask for his advice on what I need to achieve next."


His role models…

When asked who his badminton role model is, one name came to his mind - Ong Ewe Hock. "Watching him and the others player on the courts, was truly a humbling experience. It was because of them, that I made up my mind to train harder."

Chong Wei also finds inspiration in sports giants such as Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan. "I constantly study their games and the way they handle their success. Their positive attitude and patience is inspiring to me."
Is it all about winning?

With a winning attitude and the lust
to learn and gain knowledge, it's no
doubt that Lee Chong Wei will rise
to the top no matter what profession
he's in. But is 'success' all that
matters to him? "I'll definitely feel
happy whenever I win game, and
upset when I lose. But it's always important to remember that the two will always come hand-in-hand. Sometimes winning isn't everything and we just need to let it go."

How did you feel after the Olympic Games?

The Olympic win for Chong Wei was one that made Malaysia truly proud. Winning Silver was a great achievement for the country, but how did the shuttler take the pressure? "The Olympic games was one of the most important ones in my life. I couldn't sleep the nights before every game. All I could think about was how to perform my best. I didn't want to disappoint the people back home. I was very happy that all I got was encouragement when I got back. This made my win more meaningful to me."

2009 resolution and wishes…

Satisfied with his wins so far and learning from his defeats, Chong Wei is looking forward to a greater year in 2009. His resolution is to exceed the successes of the previous year and double the knowledge and experience he has gained so far. Hoping the global crisis will end and the economy to recover swiftly, he also wishes for a stronger year for all Malaysians and that they’ll be able to come out from the crisis greater than before.

Part 2


If there is one thing fans might not know about Lee Chong Wei from the courts, is that he has a remarkable sense of humour. Always able to bring a room to laughter, Chong Wei feels keeping a sunny disposition is the best way to deal with the pressures of being World Number 1.

During an interview at La Bodega, Bangsar, he opened up and shared his thought about himself, his success and his motto for life.
Describe yourself…

So how does Lee Chong Wei
describe Lee Chong Wei? After a
quick chuckle, he simply replied,
"I'm very low profile and I love
to joke and make people laugh."
On dating and family…

So what does the star shuttler do when he's not in training? "Normally I’ll be with my girlfriend. We always attend training together and try to encourage one another to play better." Chong Wei's girlfriend is fellow Malaysian Squad shuttler Wong Mew Choo. He jokingly comments that his favourite dating spot with Mew Choo is "on the courts."

Chong Wei also shares a close bond with his family. "My family has been the driving force of support for me. It was my father who got me started in badminton anyways. I also spend a lot of time speaking to my godfather. Seeking his advice and learning from his experience."
Is there a motto
you live by...

"I still remember a coach told me once, failure is the mother of success. Every time I lost in a tournament, he will comfort me with these motivating words. I still live by these words today."
Money matters…

Lee Chong Wei has already achieved an annual income that exceeded RM1 million. When asked what he'd do with all the wealth in the world, he answered, "I'd go crazy (laughs). I wouldn't know what to do with all that money. To me, health is much more important than money or power."

But you could buy anything you want..."I guess if I had all the money in the world, I'd split it into half. The first half I'd contribute to charity and the second part I'd use to enjoy life


Do you consider yourself successful?

With the many wins and titles on his belt, Lee Chong Wei is undeniably a successful Malaysian sportsman. But what does he think of all his success?

"I consider being ranked as World Number 1 as a remarkable achievement for myself. But there are still others I've yet to achieve. I never let a win go to my head. I use it as fuel to push
me further."
If you weren't a badminton player, what would you be?

"I always imagined myself as a Manager of a business," Lee Chong Wei stated in reply to the question poised at him.
"I never gave serious thought to what
I'd be doing if I wasn't playing badminton. But if I were to think of it, I do see myself managing a business somewhere."

Is coaching on his mind?

Does Lee Chong Wei think of following his mentor’s footsteps into coaching? Right now he is just focused on his game and hasn’t yet heard the calling to coach.

"To me, sports is not a lifetime career. And I've never thought about being a coach when I retire. I might try myself out in another field of profession. But it's still too early to say."

What are his plans for the future?

Aware that a career in sports definitely has a short lifespan to consider, Chong Wei has taken time to plan for his future. With the help of a good friend, he has invested in an IT company.

"It's important for me to plan now for my future. My brother in law helps to run the company now, but when the time is right, I will join him."
Sunday March 22, 2009
Keeping score with a champ
By ELIZABETH TAI



Datuk Lee Chong Wei may be the world’s top badminton player, but the shy young man prefers to keep his personal life out of the limelight. Here, he opens up about his game, his romance with a fellow shuttler and plans for the future.

DATUK Lee Chong Wei can be very intimidating.

Interrupt his practice session and you’ll get a stern look – as this reporter did when trying to get his attention during a brief break during a practice session in Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur, recently.

But once the world No.1 singles player puts aside his racquet, it’s a different story.

“Sorry for that,” says Lee with an apologetic smile. “But my coach (Datuk Misbun Sidek) is very strict. I’m scared of him!” he jokes.

The 27-year-old Penangite may be a “terror” on the badminton court, but Lee is a different person away from it: He’s known for his easy-going nature and laidback sense of humour.
His father persuaded Lee Chong Wei to take up badminton although he preferred basketball. Here, the ace plays at the men’s singles second-round match at the All England Badminton Championships on March 5. – AP

Perhaps this is one reason why he is said to be uncomfortable with being called “Datuk”. After he bagged a silver medal in the men’s singles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Lee was conferred the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri award, which carries the title. According to a report in The Star, Lee thought that his eldest brother, Lee Chong Hoon, was joking when he told him he had received the award – he figured it would only be awarded to gold medalists!

“The first few months (after obtaining the title) I felt a lot of pressure ... I’m just not used to people calling me Datuk,” he says sheepishly in Hokkien.

Well, its certainly been one high-flying year for the youngster. Malaysians have been aware of his feats on the court for some years now – Lee has bagged five Malaysian Open titles and numerous international honours, but it seems winning that prestigious Olympics silver has propelled him right onto the centre of the stage.

A natural talent

With his skills, one would think Lee was weaned on badminton, so the last thing one would expect to hear is how he didn’t like the game when he first started playing at age 12.

“My father liked badminton and taught me how to play. I preferred basketball. But my mother didn’t like me playing (that) because I became so tanned from being out in the hot sun!” he says, grinning.
Lee and Wong Mew Choo have been an item since their school days. Here, the duo wear clothes from Top Shop and Top Man.

“So, my father suggested, ‘Why don’t you play badminton? At least it is indoors.’ So that’s how I started playing – I eventually grew to love it,” he tells.

Lee, who has two brothers and a sister, was the surprise fourth child for Lee Ah Chai, now 56, and his wife, Khor Kim Choi, 55. Many friends and relatives offered to adopt Lee but Khor refused. Her husband was also told by a fortune teller that her youngest son would bring luck to the family.

And how true that prediction has turned out to be. Lee’s talent was apparent from the start and with his father’s encouragement, he joined and won many local tournaments. His hard work paid off when former badminton champ Misbun noticed him and asked him to join the national team in 1997 when he was 17.

As a national player, he studied at Sekolah Sri Garden in Kuala Lumpur with other players. They lived in hostels near the school and had to wake up at the crack of dawn to train until 8am. They then attended classes until 3pm and trained again at 4pm.

But perhaps that crazy schedule has prepared Lee for an even busier one now. Apart from competing in tournaments, the shuttler has to keep in tip-top shape with practices almost every day. He wakes up early and hones his skills in two practice sessions per day, with each session lasting about three to four hours. (Except for Thursday and Saturday, when it’s a “half day’’.)

“Oh, this is the thing I hate most – having to get up so early,” Lee moans.

At school was also where he met then 16-year-old Wong Mew Choo, who would eventually become Malaysia’s No.1 women’s badminton player... and his love interest.
Penang’s Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas conferring the Datukship on Lee after his Olympic win.

“He always borrowed my pen and books, and disturbed people in the class,” says Wong, now 26.

“I didn’t like to study,” retorts Lee, mischeviously.

The two began dating a year after they met in school and have been a couple ever since. But over the years, they have kept their relationship low key until Lee decided to unveil it in a Sept 2008 post on his blog (blog.lee chongwei82.com) under the attention-grabbing headline, “My love story”.

So are there wedding bells for the King and Queen of Malaysian badminton?

“We still don’t know about our future plans,” says Lee. “Mew Choo and I want to concentrate on badminton for the next few years.”

It has certainly been a hard climb to the top for the both of them, but “there’s no choice ... it’s my job, after all. It’s something that needs to be done,” Lee says matter-of-factly.

Wong, adds: “Ninety percent of our life is dedicated to badminton. To get something you must give something. We eat and sleep badminton. Sometimes we feel pressured. But badminton is our nation’s hope.”

Although the sport allows them to travel around the world for tournaments – the duo have been to Beijing, Japan and South Korea together – they do not have much time for sightseeing.

“After finishing (a match), I want to return to KL,” Lee says.

But Lee does make time for friends, however. When he is in Indonesia for a match, he’ll make it a point to hang out with his good friend, top Indonesian badminton player and former world champion, Taufik Hidayat, 27.

“We’ll have dinner or go shopping. We may be opponents in the badminton court, but outside we’re good friends,” he says.

Lee and Wong only get Sundays off, so this is a precious day for the couple.

When asked about what he does during his free time, Lee says, simply: “Rest. And when I watch TV, I’ll nod off soon after.”

“I love shopping, sleeping and watching movies and Korean dramas,” says Wong, happily.

The couple sometimes prowl the shopping malls but being public figures, both are easily recognised by their fans and are often stopped for photographs.

Lee is uncomfortable with the attention and feels torn between the gratitude he feels for his fans’ support and his desire for privacy.

“Sometimes, when I’m resting, I don’t really want to think about badminton,” he explains.

Last year, Lee played in 14 international tournaments – including the Olympic Games.

“Yes, it’s non-stop, right? I am tired, but what to do?” says Lee.

Lee and Wong will be competing next in the India Open in Hyderabad on March 24-29.

Life after badminton?

Despite his achievements, Lee feels uncomfortable about being a “national hero”.

“I feel a lot of pressure ... especially when I lose! But this is the nature of sports,” he says.

It doesn’t help that Malaysians can be quite critical about their badminton players, but Lee takes it in stride.

“People can scold me when I lose, but I accept what people say because everyone’s opinions are different,” he says.

Lee plans to retire after the 2012 London Olympics to run the IT business he has with his brother-in-law. He wants to be a businessman like his father, who once ran an electronics store.

But when asked whether he’ll continue in the badminton world by becoming a coach, Lee first says that he’ll “think about it”. Then shaking his head, he says, “Probably not!”

“I’m too scared of badminton – it’s been 10 years already!” he quips.

Sweet revenge for Wan Wah-Tan Fook

Friday, 21 August 2009
By LIM TEIK HUAT

Seasoned doubles campaigners Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah avenged last week’s World Championships first round defeat to Howard Bach-Tony Gunawan in style by beating the Americans in straight games to enter the quarter-finals of the Macau Open last night.

Wan Wah-Tan Fook, who lost to the 2005 world champions in rubber games last week, turned the tables this time for a 21-15, 21-17 win in just 21 minutes.

The second seeded Malaysians will face South Koreans Hwang Ji-man-Kim Ki-jung, who ousted Indone­sian siblings and sixth seeds Candra Wijaya-Rendra Wijaya 24-22, 15-21, 21-11.

Wan Wah said they had done their homework well after they were humbled by the American top pair, who went on to reach the quarter-finals in Hyderabad.

“We knew we could be facing them in the Macau Open this week and we studied their game on the video.”

It was a good day for the Malaysians as Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng and top seeds Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong also advanced.

Chong Ming-Choon Eng defeated Germany’s Michael Fuchs-Ingo Kindervater 21-15, 21-18 while Kien Keat-Boon Heong, the World Cham­pionships bronze medallists, trounced fellow Malaysians Mak Hee Chun-Tan Wee Kiong 21-9, 21-18.

Chong Ming-Choon Eng and Kien Keat-Boon Heong will bid to make it an all-Malaysian semi-final line-up when they meet Chinese pairs Chai Biao-Zhang Nan and Liu Xiaolong-Qiu Zihan tonight.

In the men’s singles, world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei and Wong Choong Hann marched into the last eight with relative ease but it was the end of the road for Chan Kwong Beng and Mohd Hafiz Hashim.

Chong Wei, who suffered a quarter-finals exit in Hyderabad, took just 29 minutes to beat Gao Huan of China 21-9, 21-7 while Choong Hann chalked up a 21-13, 21-9 win over Hsueh Hsuan-yi of Taiwan.

Chong Wei and Choong Hann have Indian hurdles waiting in the last eight – Chetan Anand and Arvind Bhat – respectively.

Back-up shuttler Kwong Beng’s gallant run ended when he went down fighting 15-21, 21-13, 15-21 to Taiwan’s sixth seed Hsieh Yu-shing while Hafiz lost 19-21, 21-23 to Hong Kong’s Hu Yun.

Malaysian women’s singles player Wong Mew Choo’s campaign ended with a 19-21, 12-21 loss to Wang Chen of Hong Kong.

Mixed doubles pair Mohd Razif Abdul Latif-Woon Khe Wei are the only Malaysians in the quarter-finals after beating Chinese qualifiers Zhang Nan-Xie Jing 15-21, 21-19, 21-14.

(Matches involving Malaysians only)

Men’s singles third round: Lee Chong Wei bt Gao Huan (Chn) 21-9, 21-7; Hsieh Yu-shing (Tpe) bt Chan Kwong Beng 21-15, 13-21, 21-15; Hu Yun (Hkg) bt Mohd Hafiz Hashim 21-19, 23-21; Wong Choong Hann bt Hsueh Hsuan-yi (Tpe) 21-13, 21-9.

Women’s singles second round: Wang Chen (Hkg) bt Wong Mew Choo 21-19, 21-12.

Men’s doubles second round: Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong bt Mak Hee Chun-Tan Wee Kiong 21-9, 21-18; Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng bt Michael Fuchs-Ingo Kindervater (Ger) 21-15, 21-18; Lee Wan Wah-Choong Tan Fook bt Howard Bach-Tony Gunawan (US) 21-15, 21-17.

Mixed doubles second round: Mohd Razif Abdul Latif-Woon Khe Wei bt Zhang Nan-Xie Jing (Chn) 15-21, 21-19, 21-14; Ko Sung-hyu-Yoo Hyun-young (Kor) bt Ong Jian Guo-Chong Sook Chin 21-12, 18-21, 21-11.

Courtesy of The Star

Chong Wei’s biggest threat on the big stage is himself

Tuesday, 18 August 2009

THE World Championships in Hyderabad went on smoothly despite an alleged terrorist threat and fears of the spread of the flu (H1N1) virus.

But in competition, Malaysia’s world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei, who was seen as Malaysia’s great hope to nail the elusive world championship title, did not survive a threat from within himself and bowed out tamely again to Indonesian Sony Dwi Kuncoro, this time in the quarter-finals.

Coach Misbun Sidek said that his worst fear came true when the 27-year-old Chong Wei could not handle the high expectations on him and lost focus in his eagerness to win so badly for the country.

“This has been the only concern of the coaches. He has all the skills and techniques but what goes through his mind during a match is beyond the control of anyone, except himself,” said Misbun.

The result was disappointing indeed, considering that the coaches and the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) had met all of Chong Wei’s demand to prevent him from getting distracted in the few months in the run-up to the championships.

Chong Wei went to South Korea for a 10-day stint. He also had the full assistance of sports psychologist Frederick Tan.

In fact, he even had a suite for himself in Hyderabad. All these were done in a bid to help him stay focused.

The coaches defended that Chong Wei tried his best but if only he had shown more aggression or better fight in his game. Chong Wei knew more was expected of him. He did take the responsibility of his failure and has promised to come out of the disappointment with better performances. One has to be fair to Chong Wei. It is not easy being the only player to be depended on for honours, year after year.

The back-up shuttlers are still not up to the mark and hopefully, the new coach, Hendrawan of Indonesia, can turn things around for Malaysia.

China had more than one player to fight for the honours and it was underlined yet again in an all-China final between eventual champion Lin Dan and Chen Jin.

The doubles department also failed to end the barren run for Malaysia in the championships with Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif coming narrowly close to making it an all-Malaysian final.

It was also a disappointing outing for the world No. 1 women’s pair of Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty. They failed to reach the quarter-finals of the championships for the first time in four outings. And they are still hounded by their lack of consistency.

National doubles chief coach Rexy Mainaky said: “Winning and losing are part and parcel of the game.

“What is important is to learn from the defeat and come out as stronger players.”

If only Chong Wei and his team-mates were strong enough, they could have withstood internal or external pressures to succeed and become world champions.

Courtesy of The Star

Rexy must give more opportunities to the back-up pairs

Tuesday, 18 August 2009

K.M. Boopathy

IT is hard to believe Malaysia, given the talents at its disposal, has failed to reach the men's doubles final of the World Championships since 1997, and if the performances of the top two national pairs in the semi-finals in Hyderabad are anything to go by, it is easy to understand why.

Winning a major title needs plenty of character and resilience and this is where the Koreans, Indonesians and Chinese have a huge advantage. While Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Zakry Latif-Fairuzizuan Tazari are immensely talented, they are sadly lacking in that department.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong have remained an enigma as this is the pair who took the world by storm in 2007 and made their top three rivals -- Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia, Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae of South Korea and Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng of China -- eat humble pie for several months before their careers took a dive.

Markis-Hendra are now Olympic and world champions, Cai Yun-Haifeng have added an Olympic silver medal to the world title they had already won and Jae Sung-Yong Dae have featured in several World Championships finals.
Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong crumble cave in crunch situations and don’t have the grit to fight back when they are trailing.
Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong crumble cave in crunch situations and don’t have the grit to fight back when they are trailin



Determination and confidence have been the key elements behind the success of these three pairs in close battles while Kien Keat-Boon Heong crumble in crunch situations and don't have the same grit to fight back when they are trailing.

Their coach Rosman Razak aptly put it when he said that "having it (determination and grit) are special traits to succeed in difficult circumstances which cannot be taught and they have to be cultivated by the players themselves."

Kien Keat-Boon Heong must sharpen their killer instincts and at the same time remain cool to battle on until the last point is won (or lost) and should never settle for just average success.

Yong Dae is a special talent and he has the ability to conjure up effective combinations with any player and is already an Olympic winner with Lee Hyo Jung in the mixed doubles.

Yong Dae and Jae Sung are the favourites for the 2012 London Olympics doubles title and they will only get stronger over the next three years.

Kien Keat, 24 and Boon Heong, 22, have already wasted two golden years of their careers and if they are to have a shot at titles over the coming two World Championships (2010 and 2011) and the 2012 Olympics, they should start believing in themselves more and inculcate the ability to stare down their opponents in a do-or-die situation.

Both players also have the tendency to treat the Olympics and the World Championships like any other event and this must stop although it is meant to reduce the pressure.

There is no way the pair can rise to the occasions if they think a tournament is not important and these are the minor details Kien Keat-Boon Heong should change in order to become champions.

Zakry-Fairuz must also use the surprise bronze they won in Hyderabad as a launch pad and become a more consistent pair. If they can perform well, it will also boost the confidence of Kien Keat-Boon Heong as it will be easier for them to attack the major events.

Also, it is unwise to just concentrate on these two pairs and head coach Rexy Mainaky must start giving more opportunities to the back-up pairs under the guidance of Pang Cheh Chang.

There have been too many experiments throughout the year and it has to stop as the coaches should know by now which combination can click.

The settled pairs should instead start focusing on qualifying for next year's World Championships which end on April 30, 2010.

Our doubles pairs go down fighting in semi-finals

Sunday, 16 August 2009

THERE were sheer dejection on the faces of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif as they walked off the courts yesterday.

Both pairs had given a fight of their lives but it was not good enough to create history for Malaysia in the World Championships at Gachibowli Stadium here yesterday.
Great delight: Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng celebrate after their semi-final win yesterday.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong were beaten 21-16, 14-21, 20-22 by South Korean Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung in one of the most thrilling match of the day while Fairuziuan-Zakry went down fighting at 21-18, 22-24, 15-21 to former world champions Cai Yun-Hai Feng of China in another nail-biting semi-final match yesterday.

With their defeats yesterday, Malaysia’s challenge in the World Championships came to an end and the country, proud of their badminton tradition, will have to wait for another year to nail the elusive world crown.

Lanky Tan Boon Heong was a shattered man after the painful loss.

“We gave our best out there today. It is really frustrating to lose out at deuce. It was so nerve-wracking but we tried to remain calm,” said Boon Heong. “It was all about who had more confidence and luck during the match. Maybe, I was not as stable as I should have been.

“We were just unable to kill the shuttle. We were just not as fortunate as them. Koo and I were really determined from the start to get a good result for the country,” he lamented.

Second seeds Kien Keat-Boon Heong were in devastating form to take the first game and the Koreans replied with another show-stealer in the second game.
There was also joy for the Koreans when Jung Jae-sung (left) and Lee Yong-dae make it to the men’s doubles final.

The third game was action-packed when Kien Keat-Boon Heong raced to a 10-6 lead. Then, the Koreans powered their way back into the game and it was from this stage that both pairs played their hearts out to outfox each other.

At 18-18, it was all about the service and service returns and eventually, it was the Malaysians, who failed to come good at the end.

“I sent a high flick service and it caught Yong-dae by surprise. But after that, he served one and I did not get it right. They got the confidence to romp home for the win.”

Fairuzizuan-Zakry also had Cai Yun-Haifeng on the backfoot and should have wrapped up the match in straight games but they just failed to finish them off.

“I feel so frustrated. We had them in our hands today. We played the right tactics and they could not match our game. We did not lift the shuttle high for them and they struggled,” said Fairuzizuan.

“We should have won the second game. We caught up from 13-16 to take a 17-16 lead. It was really tight after that,” he said.

The Chinese reached game point first but the Malaysians turned on the pressure to level the score at 20-all. It was a neck-and-neck fight but the Chinese managed to force the rubber.

Said Zakry: “It is such a waste when we could not kill them off. We tried to hold them but we made mistakes and that gave them the confidence.

“We let slip a golden opportunity to reach the final and I feel so disappointed about the way we lost,” he added.

In the decider, Zakry-Fairuzizuan were slow to get into rhythm and Cai Yun-Haifeng hung on for a place in the final and a shot at winning their second world title.

Courtesy of The Star

Chong Wei still not a solid top player, says Misbun



Sunday, 16 August 2009

WORLD number one Lee Chong Wei’s body was cold when his coach Misbun Sidek hugged him after his shocking men’s singles quarter-final exit in the World Championships at Hyderabad on Friday.

And that was the reason for his 16-21, 21-14, 12-21 loss to Indonesia’s Sony Dwi Kuncoro – Malaysia’s blue-eyed boy of badminton froze at the wrong time.
Down and out: Lee Chong Wei tumbles while trying to retrieve a shot by Indonesia’s Sony Dwi Kuncoro in the men’s singles quarter-finals on Friday. Sony won 21-16, 14-21, 21-12. — AP

But Misbun, disappointed that he has failed yet again to produce a world champion for the country, is confident that Chong Wei will bounce back.

“He was quite nervous even before going into the court. The only fear of every top class player is to calm the raging battle within themself and Chong Wei failed to do that,” said Misbun.

“After the one-hour battle with Sony, I felt his hands and body. They were cold. He was unable to produce his best form.”

Misbun said that Chong Wei burst into tears in the room and kept to himself and even turned down food after the defeat.

The loss was unexpected as Chong Wei had the best of preparation, including a 10-day stint in South Korea, while Sony had to juggle between training and his wedding preparation for the whole of last month. In fact, Sony had trained without a coach for a month.

“Chong Wei wanted to win so badly especially after the two Malaysian men’s doubles pairs had reached the semi-finals before his match. And that added pressure on him to perform,” said Misbun.

“Sony is a tricky player. He waited patiently for Chong Wei to make mistakes.

“And it worked as Chong Wei was totally blanked out and did not know how to get back to his normal game.”

The outcome of the World Champ­ion­ships showed that Chong Wei is still struggling to stabilise his game as the world number one player. And that to Misbun is understandable.

“There is no doubt that Chong Wei is a world class player but he is not as solid as we wanted him to be at the top.

“His techniques and skills are there but he has to make the right decision when he is on court and no one can help him on this except himself. And this is not easy for any player in the world.”

Even National Sports Institute (NSI) psychologist Frederick Tan, who is also in Hyderabad, had tried his best to keep Chong Wei’s motivation high from the start of the tournament but to no avail.

Misbun said he would give Chong Wei the long break he wanted but with a condition attached — the Beijing Olympic Games silver medallist must return to training at his usual best.

Courtesy of The Star

Malaysian doubles shuttlers do it better at World meet

Saturday, 15 August 2009

IT was a glorious day for Malaysia when Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif powered into the men’s doubles semi-finals of the World Championships at the Gachibowli Stadium yesterday.

Second seeds Kien Keat-Boon Heong survived a nail-biting decider to beat 2005 world champions Tony Gunawan-Howard Bach of United States 22-20, 13-21, 21-17 in the quarter-finals.

Fairuzizuan-Zakry didn’t have it easy either, being forced to claw back from an opening game disaster to beat South Koreans Cho Gun-woo-Yoo Yeon-seong 17-21, 21-12, 21-14 to reach their first semi-finals in an international tournament this year.

By reaching the semi-finals, the pairs have assured Malaysia of at least a bronze medal.
Leap of joy: Tan Boon Heong celebrating as Koo Kien Keat looks on after their men’s doubles quarter-final win over Americans Howard Bach-Tony Gunawan o Friday.

Today, Kien Keat-Boon Heong and Fairuzizuan-Zakry have a chance to make it an all-Malaysian final for the first time when they take on the formidable combinations of South Koreans Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung and China’s Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng respectively.

The last time Malaysia had two men’s doubles in the semi-finals was at the 2001 world meet in Seville. Then, Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah and Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng failed to make it to the final.

Yesterday, however, Kien Keat-Boon Heong were staring at defeat before they came alive in the final stages of the decider.

“We played a better attacking game in the first game and had the confidence to go for the kill. But we slowed down a little and they took that opportunity to turn the game around,” said Kien Keat.

After a convincing first game win, the Malaysians were bombarded with leaping smashes by the stocky Bach and Tony. That rattled the Malaysians, forcing them to concede a rubber game.

The Americans continued to pound the Malaysians to take a 10-6 lead. Then, the fightback started.

It was tense as the lead changed hands until 17-17. That’s when, with an eye on Howard as their target, the Malaysians picked up four quick points to romp home.

A delighted Kien Keat said their never-say-die attitude saw them through into the last four.

“Our attacking game was good but we were surprised with a similiar approach by the Americans. Howard can jump really high while Tony is a master tactician,” said Kien Keat.

“We took a gamble and our net shots worked wonders. The situation was tense but we just did not want to give up.”

Boon Heong, however, is not satisfied. “This is not the best from us. I will not be satisfied with a semi-final appearance. We have a 50-50 chance tomorrow and we promise to give our best,” he said.

As for Fairuzizuan and Zakry, it was a day of breakthrough.

Said Zakry: “We are so happy today. Both of us had some problems on the court before coming into the tournament but we proved today that everything is behind us.”

“We really played well today. After so many quarter-final finishes this year, we’ve finally made it to our first semi-finals. This is the breakthrough we wanted.”

Said Fairuzizuan: “This has been an amazing outing for us so far. Everything is working out well for us.

“It will be tough against Cai Yun-Haifeng but we hope to play even better than today.”

The pair have beaten Cai Yun-Haifeng once in three outings – in the second round of the China Open in 2007.

Men’s singles: Chen Jin (Chn) bt Simon Santoso (Ina) 21-10, 21-13; Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Ina) bt Lee Chong Wei (Mas) 21-16, 14-21, 21-12; Lin Dan (Chn) bt Peter-Gade Christensen (Den) 22-20, 21-16; Taufik Hidayat (Ina) bt Jan O Jorgensen (Den) 21-19, 21-19.

Men’s doubles: Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (Chn) bt Han Sang-hoon-Shin Baek-cheol (Kor) 21-16, 21-18; Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (Mas) bt Howard Bach-Tony Gunawan (US) 22-20, 13-21, 21-17; Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari (Mas) bt Cho Gun-woo-Yoo Yeon-seong (Kor) 17-21, 21-12, 21-14; Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung (Kor) bt Guo Zhengdong-Xu Chen (Chn) 21-17, 28-26.

Women’s singles: Pi Hongyan (Ger) bt Juliane Schenk (Ger) 15-21, 21-15, 21-19; Xie Xingfang (Chn) bt Zhou Mi (Hkg) 21-15, 21-18; Lu Lan (Chn) bt Tine Rasmussen (Den) 21-15, 21-13; Wang Lin (Chn) bt Saina Nehwal (Ind) 21-16, 21-19.

Women’s doubles: Ma Jin-Wang Xioali (Chn) bt Lee Hyo-jung-Lee Kyung-won (Kor) 21-18, 21-13; Zhang Yawen-Zhao Tingting (Chn) bt Ha Jung-eun-Kim Min-jung (Kor) 21-9, 21-10; Cheng Shu-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) bt Cheng Wen-hsing-Chien Yu-chin (Tpe) 11-21, 21-11, 21-8; Du Jing-Yu Yang (Chn) bt Miyuki Maeda-Satoko Suetsuna (Jpn) 21-17, 21-8.

Mixed doubles: Lee Yong-dae-Lee Hyo-jung (Kor) bt Xie Zhongbo-Zhang Yawen (Chn) 21-16, 21-16; Thomas Laybourn-Kamilla Rytter Juhl (Den) bt Zheng Bo-Ma Jin (Chn) 22-20, 11-21, 22-20; Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (Den) bt He Hanbin-Shen Ye (Chn) 21-10, 21-17; Nova Widianto-Lilyana Natsir (Ina) bt V. Diju-Jwala Gutta (Ind) 21-16,

Courtesy of The Star

Indon ends Chong Wei’s World title bid






Saturday, 15 August 2009

WORLD No. 1 Lee Chong Wei was crushed by Sony Dwi Kuncoro yet again in the World Championships at the Gachi­bowli Stadium yesterday.

Surprisingly, though, the Malaysian did not take the defeat too badly.

The top seed was hailed as Malaysia’s great hope to end the country’s elusive chase for a world title but yesterday Chong Wei showed the ugly side of his game to lose 16-21, 21-14, 12-21 to Sony in the quarter-finals of the men’s singles match that lasted an hour.

Ironically, it was Sony who dashed Chong Wei’s dream of a first world title at the previous world meet in Kuala Lumpur, stopping the Malaysian in the third round.

And yesterday, Sony showed the same drive and determination while Chong Wei looked lost and out of sorts from the start.

“I gave it my all. After the first game defeat, I fought back. But it was not to be my day today,” said Chong Wei, who hardly showed any signs of being terribly upset.

“My strength is in net play but it worked against me. I was sending half court returns and my defence was weak.

“I have to accept this defeat. I know people will be angry with me but it just seems that I am not lucky when it comes to the World Championships.”
What a win: Sony celebrates after beating Chong Wei in the quarter-finals on Friday. Sony won 21-16, 14-21, 21-12. Starpic by S.S. Kanesan

His best achievement in four world outings thus far has been a semi-final finish in Anaheim in 2005.

When asked why he was all smiles despite the defeat, he said: “I am putting on a brave front here, but inside I am hurting. I wanted, as much as anyone else, to do well here.”

A confident display by Sony in the first game ripped Chong Wei’s confidence into tatters right from the start. The Malaysian was slower than usual and did not show any urgency in his game, giving room for Sony to take control of the game.

Chong Wei, who has won four Open titles this year, sparked hopes of a great fightback after taking the second game but it all fell flat when he adopted a cautious approach in the decider, hardly showing any aggression.

The Beijing Olympic Games silver medallist said he would discuss with coach Misbun Sidek about taking a long break from competition.

“I have been listed for the Macau Open but I will talk with my coach to skip the tournament. I need a break. I may come back refreshed after a break to continue my chase for a world title and an Olympic title,” said Chong Wei.

Sony’s reward for taking out Chong Wei is a semi-final date with Lin Dan of China.

Lin Dan was pushed to the limit before prevailing 22-20, 21-16 over the evergreen Peter-Gade Christensen.

The other semi-final will be between second seed Chen Jin and Indonesian Taufik Hidayat, who is eyeing his second world crown.

Courtesy of The Star

1 BIG Family












They are nt juz teamates,but they are also good friends..

Worry over mistakes led to Pei Tty-Eei Hui defeat

Friday, 14 August 2009

A MISUNDERSTANDING in the final game resulted in the sad exit of Malaysia’s world No. 1 Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty from the world championships women’s doubles competition yesterday.

The top seeds crashed to a 19-21, 21-19, 12-21 defeat by 2008 Olympic Games semi-finalists Miyuki Maeda-Satoko Suetsuna of Japan in a 65-minute third-round match.

It was the first time in the world series that Eei Hui-Pei Tty failed to reach the quarter-finals since they made their debut in the championships in Anaheim in 2005. And they dejectedly left the court at the Gachibowli Stadium, accompanied by the coaches, Rexy Mainaky and Chang Kim Wai.

A poker-faced Pei Tty expressed her disappointment for the failure to make it to at least the quarter-finals for the fourth consecutive time.

“Honestly, we knew it was a tough mission for us against them (Maeda-Suetsuna),” she said.
End of the road: Malaysia’s Chin Eei Hui and Wong Pei Tty leaving the court with coach Rexy Mainaky after losing to Japan’s Miyuki Maeda and Satoko Suetsuna in the third round of the World Badminton Championships at the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad. — S.S.KANESAN / The Star

“We should have been more relaxed but we were tense and did not seem to enjoy the first game. We could not defend as well as we should. It rattled us and we made so many errors.”

The Japanese raced to a 5-1 lead in the opening game and kept the pressure on throughout to win it.

Eei Hui, who was struggling to get her act right in the first game, did better in the second game.

“I was making too many mistakes and fortunately, I was able to get a better grip of myself. And I think that turned the tide to our favour in the second game when we were trailing 15-19.”

It all seemed well and good for the Malaysians in the decider when they caught up from 7-10 to take a slim 11-10 lead. Then, everything fell to pieces.

Their aggression in the game was replaced with weak returns and poor judgment. And the Japanese gained in confidence to claim their place in the quarter-finals.

Pei Tty agreed that they were a letdown and the top ranked pair in the world.

“Whether we like it or not, we are still the world No. 1. Our problem is our inconsistency. We can play so well and beat a top pair and we can also play below par and lose to a lower ranked pair,” she said.

Rexy said that the duo would have to work on their communication skills, especially when things were not going their way.

“There is nothing wrong with their skills. In the decider, they were in control after taking a 11-10 lead. The Japanese broke their rhythm by slowing down the game,” he said.

“Instead of holding on together and playing their game, they were more worried over the mistakes made by each other. They have to learn to support each other in good or bad times.”

Courtesy of The Star

黄妙珠输球影响李宗伟心情 大马一哥心疼女友










体坛网记者李婷海德拉巴报道作为马来西亚的一姐,黄妙珠的女单比赛被马来西亚民众寄予了厚望,但是在首轮比赛中她就意外遭到了淘汰,而这场比赛,她的男朋友李宗伟也在现场观战。回到酒店后,李宗伟不停地安慰着女朋友:“输赢谁都会有,这一次输了,下次赢回来就好了。”在随后的几天,尽管自己比赛任务繁重,但李宗伟都没空余时陪伴在女友身旁。

“以前去哪儿比赛我都会陪她逛街的,但是在印度肯定不行,而且我上次又拉肚子,所以我一直在提醒她得小心一点。”说起女友的失利,李宗伟不无心疼地说道:“还是因为她的伤病,劳损性的伤病一直都好不了,每天训练结束她都要很长时间的治疗,我看着挺难受的,带着伤打比赛,心里肯定有顾虑,打不好是自然的。”中国传统的七夕快到了,李宗伟对黄妙珠的祝福就是:“希望她的伤病能减轻点,这样我心里也会好过。

Doubles pairs to know if they are good enough for quarters

Thursday, 13 August 2009

HOTSHOTS Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong say that their real tests in the world championships begin today while Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif feel that they have regained their touch after winning their opening round matches.

The action in second-round matches in the men’s doubles competition yesterday also saw the exit of third seeds Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen of Denmark.

For Kien Keat-Boon Heong, they were hardly tested against Nigerians Ola Fagbemi-Jinkan Ifraimu, romping to an 21-5, 21-16 win in just 17 minutes.

The easy win was a blessing in disguise for Kien Keat, who had twisted his ankle during training.

“It is just a slight twist but I am being very careful about it. I do not want this minor problem to affect my game tomorrow,” he said.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong will play against Japanese Naoki Kawamae-Shoji Sato today for a place in the quarter-finals. The Japanese had eliminated former Malaysian No. 1 Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng in the opening round on Monday.

“We have not played against them and we will not take them lightly. Our match will get tougher from here and we will be ready,” said Kien Keat.

Zakry-Fairuzizuan, who had been having problems to complement each other on the court, got their acts right yesterday when they defeated Yoshiteru Hirobe-Hajime Komiyama of Japan 21-14, 23-21.

But they courted letting each other down in the second game while trailing 15-19 but quick communication saw them covering for each other well to escape with a narrow win.

And for Zakry, it has given them a huge dose of confidence to take on Indonesians Yonathan Suryatama Dasuki-Rian Sukmawan for a place in the quarter-finals.

“There was a stage in the second game that I lost focus. Fortunately, I regained the rhythm. But this is my weakness and I cannot afford to do this tomorrow,” said Zakry.

“This win is important as it had given Fairuzizuan and I some confidence after going through tough times. We hope to play even better tomorrow.”

On the match against Yonathan-Dasuki, Fairuzizuan said: “We have won all three previous matches against them but we will not be over confident. We know a lot is stake on our performance here and we will give our best.”

The big upset in the event yesterday was the elimination of former champions Paake-Rasmussen, who were beaten 19-21, 21-15, 17-21 by South Koreans Han Sang-hoon-Shin Baek-cheol.

Courtesy of The Star

It’s over for shuttler Mew Choo

Thursday, 13 August 2009

MALAYSIA’s hope to see a great comeback from Wong Mew Choo went up in smoke at the World Cham­­pionships in Hyderabad yesterday.

The national women’s singles No. 1 was beaten 21-18, 12-21, 21-23 at the Gachibowli Stadium by Japanese Ai Goto in a 55-minute second round match in which fitness failed her.

Malaysia’s challenge in the women’s singles event ended with the defeat.
Distraught: Malaysian coach Misbun Sidek trying to console Wong Mew Choo after the shuttler’s defeat by Japan’s Ai Goto in the second round of the World Badminton Championships at the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad Wednesday. — S.S. KANESAN / The Star

Lydia Cheah crashed out in the opening round on Tuesday.

Yesterday, Mew Choo sparked off hopes of a quick win when she played superbly to beat the pint-sized Japanese in the first game. But she ran out of battery in the second game and gave up easily.

“I just could not take her rally game at that stage. She was punishing me and taking me to the front and back of the court,” said Mew Choo.

“I was really tired. I made mistakes and that frustrated me even more. Then in the decider, she took a comfortable 17-11 lead.

“I told myself that I had worked so hard in training and I was not about to give up. I was tired but I pushed myself and fought for every point.”

Mew Choo managed to overtake Goto at 18-17 but failed to press home at the crucial stages.

Mew Choo was disappointed that she could not produce the same form that resulted in a great comeback to beat Xie Xingfang of China en route to reaching the quarter-finals of the championships for the first time in Kuala Lumpur two years ago.

“It’s disappointing but this is not the end of me. I know I can still improve,” said Mew Choo, who will take part in the Macau Open next month.

Although the world No. 1 women’s pair of Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty defeated Sweden’s Emelie Len­nartsson-Emma Wengberg 21-13, 21-11 to reach the third round, it was not an impressive win.

“We took it easy in this first game and did not play that aggressively.

“We were saving our energy for tomorrow,” said Eei Hui of their next match against Japanese Miyuki Maeda-Satoko Suetsuna, who were the semi-finalists at the Beijing Olym­pics last year.

“The last time we played against them was two years ago. They certainly have improved but we will be ready for them.”

Courtesy of The Star

Malaysian coach quarantined after coming down with fever

Wednesday, 12 August 2009

MALAYSIA’S mixed doubles coach Jeremy Gan was rushed to hospital after coming down with fever and sore throat.

Jeremy has been admitted to the isolation unit of the Chest Hospital in Hyderabad for a 48-hour observation.
Masked protector: Malaysia’s Sabrina Chong and Ong Jien Guo walking past a masked security personnel after losing to Chinese mixed doubles pair He Hanbin-Yu Yang yesterday.

And the organisers of the World Championships have got down to work on preventive measures over the fear of the influenza A (H1N1) virus that is spreading in India.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) and organisers also had a meeting with all team managers to brief them on the do’s and don’ts during the competition to curb the virus.

In Kuala Lumpur, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek assured parents of shuttlers in Hyderabad that they were safe.

“The Indian government has given us 200% guarantee on safety at the venue,” he said yesterday.

Meanwhile, Malaysian team manager Peter Yeow said that Malaysians are taking all preventive measures.

“Jeremy had fever and sore throat. He has a sinus problem and we thought this was common. He sought medical treatment on Monday night and the doctor sent him to the hospital,” he said.

“He was sent by an ambulance at about 10pm (on Monday) to the isolation unit. He has to be there for at least two days. There is nothing to panic. It is the required procedure that we had to follow.”

Peter said that it was a requirement that players and officials from the country affected by the epidemic to be referred to hospital immediately if they show symptoms of fever and flu.

He said he had briefed the team on precautions to take.

“There will be body checks and their temperatures will be taken daily. We have also instructed them to wear a mask everyday and they have been told to be disciplined to maintain good hygiene.

“The players are following our instructions and we are keeping in touch with the BAM (Badminton Association of Malaysia), NSC (Natio­nal Sports Council) and NSI (National Sports Institute).”

Peter said that the other coaches would help guide the mixed doubles players in the absence of Jeremy. The other coaches are doubles chief coach Rexy Mainaky, Rosman Razak, Chang Kim Wai and singles coaches Rashid Sidek (chief) and Misbun Sidek.

Courtesy of The Star