Thursday, July 26, 2012

London 2012 Photo Story: Robertson lights up Wembley Arena with Olympic torch

Great Britian's badminton legend Nathan Robertson ran the Olympic torch relay along Wembley Way as badminton is now set to light up the London 2012 Olympic Games! Here is a photo story.

A personification of passion for the sport and one who has inspired a generation, 35-year-old Robertson is an ideal candidate to represent the host and the sport to carry the Olympic torch on Day 68 of the torch relay this morning. The London 2012 badminton competition will be held at the Wembley Arena from 28 July to 5 August.

World Champion, Olympic medalist, European Champion, Commonwealth Games and All-England Champion, Nathan Robertson is no doubt one of the most decorated mixed doubles player in the history of English badminton. At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Robertson picked up the mixed doubles silver medal with Gail Emms, to register one of Great Britain's finest moments in its badminton history.

Making his international debut for England at the age of 18 after playing the sport for 12 years, Robertson was also a men’s doubles specialist where he had teamed up with his good friend Anthony Clark to win a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The duo also picked up one of the twelve prestigious BWF World Superseries titles in Singapore in the 2009 season. This remains as England’s best performance at the Superseries since the series took off in 2007.

London 2012: Olympic Games LIVE DRAW

At 10am (London, GMT time) today, the London 2012 Olympic Games badminton live draw will be conducted at the Main Press Center of the Olympic Park in London. Find out how you can follow the Draw Ceremony live here!
We will bring you live update of the draw on this page of our website - simply refresh the page every few minutes to see the boxes populated below! If you are on-the-go, we will also be tweeting the draw results as they come through to us, so follow us on twitter @bwfmedia to join us in this momentous event now!
Let's get #Badminton trending at London 2012.
The London 2012 Olympic Games badminton event will shuttle off this Saturday, 28 July 2012 at the Wembley Arena. A total of 5 disciplines will be contested - Men's Singles, Women's Singles, Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles, and Mixed Doubles.
Get information of the regulations surrounding the badminton event on our website here. Also check out the IOC's badminton page here and the London 2012 official page for badminton here. We will over the next few days bring you more information on how you can follow your favourite badminton stars at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Meanwhile, enjoy the excitement of the Draw Ceremony right here!

London 2012 Olympic Games Draw: Men's Singles
(Groups A to H are the draw's top half, Groups I to P are the draw's bottom half)
Group A
 
 
Group B
Simon Santoso (9)
Michael Lachnsteiner
 
Group C
Kenichi Tago (8)
Niluka Karunaratne


Group D
Nguyen Tien Minh (10)
Kashyap Parupalli
Group E
Chen Long (3)
 
Group F
Wong Wing Ki (16)
Group G
Peter Gade (5)
 
Group H
Son Wan Ho (13)
Vladimir Ivanov
Group I
Group J
Lee Hyun Il (7)
 
Group K
Group L
Chen Jin (4)
 
Group M
Rajiv Ouseph (15)
Group N
Sho Sasaki (6)
 
Group O
Group P
Lin Dan (2)


London 2012 Olympic Games Draw: Women's Singles
(Groups A to H are the draw's top half, Groups I to P are the draw's bottom half)
Group A
 
Group B
Group C
Group D
Gu Juan (13)
Group E
Group F
Yao Jie (14)
Group G
Tine Baun (5)
Group H
Group I
Pi Hongyan (16)
Group J
Group K
Group L
Li Xuerui (3)
Group M
Group N
Group O
Group P
Wang Xin (2)
 

London 2012 Olympic Games Draw: Men's Doubles
Group A
Cai Yun / Fu Haifeng (1)
Fang Chieh Min / Lee Sheng Mu
Ross Smith / Glenn Warfe
Ingo Kindervater / Johannes Schoettler
Group B
Ko Sung Hyun / Yoo Yeong Seong (4)
Bodin Issara / Maneepong Jongjit
Adam Cwalina / Michal Logosz
Mohammad Ahsan / Bona Septano
Group C
Mathias Boe / Carsten Mogensen (3)
Chai Biao / Guo Zhendong
Dorian Lance James / Willem Viljoen
Vladimir Ivanov / Ivan Sozonov
Group D
Chung Jae Sung/Lee Yong Dae (2)
Howard Bach / Tony Gunawan
Naoki Kawamae / Shoji Sato
Koo Kien Keat / Tan Boon Heong

London 2012 Olympic Games Draw: Women's Doubles
Group A
Wang Xiaoli / Yu Yang (1)
Jung Kyung Eun / Kim Ha Na
Valeri Sorokina / Nina Vislova
Alex Bruce / Michelle Li
Group B
Mizuki Fujii / Reika Kakiiwa (4)
Jwala Gutta / Ashwini Ponnappa
Cheng Wen Hsing / Chien Yu Chin
Shinta Sari Mulia / Yao Lei
Group C
Ha Jung Eun / Kim Min Jung (3)
Leanne Choo / Renuga Veeran
Michelle Edwards / Annari Viljoen
Meiliana Juahari / Greysia Polii
Group D
Tian Qing / Zhao Yunlei (2)
Miyuki Maeda / Satoko Suetsuna
Christinna Pedersen / Kamila Rytter Juhl
Poon Lok Yan / Tse Suet Ying

London 2012 Olympic Games Draw: Mixed Doubles
Group A
Zhang Nan / Zhao Yunlei (1)
Alexandr Nikolaenko / Valeri Sorokina
Michael Fuchs / Birgit Michels
Chris Adcock / Imogen Bankier
Group B
Joachim Fischer / Christinna Pedersen (4)
Shintaro Ikeda / Shiota Reiko
Toby Ng / Grace Gao
Robert Mateusiak / Nadiezda Zieba
Group C
Tontowi Ahmad / Liliyana Natsir (3)
Thomas Laybourn / Kamilla Rytter Juhl
Lee Yong Dae / Ha Jung Eun
Viju D / Jwala Gutta
Group D
Xu Chen / Ma Jin (2)
S Prapakamol / S Thoungthongkam
Chan Peng Soon / Goh Liu Ying
Chen Hung Ling / Cheng Wan Hsing

In the singles, only the winner of each group will qualify for the Round of 16: [A vs B, C vs D] [E vs F, G vs H] [I vs J, K vs L] [M vs N, O vs P]. The two winners of the two ties in each [ ] will then face-off in the quarter-finals.
In the doubles, the top two of each group will qualify for the quarter-finals. And in the doubles quarter-finals, the top half of the draw will have A1 vs C2 and B1 vs D2, while bottom half of the draw will have A2 vs C1 and B2 vs D1.
N.B Seeds are denoted in the ( ).

London Olympics: Playing without fear will be the key

NAOKI Kawamae-Shoji Sato are not Japan's most feared pair but they could still stand between Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and a place in the men's doubles quarter-finals in the London Olympics.
National men's doubles chief coach Tan Kim Her, in a telephone interview from London, said Naoki-Shoji are hard working and despite Kien Keat-Boon Heong having won all three of their previous meetings, they have to tread carefully when they meet in the group matches which begin on Saturday.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong have been drawn in Group D, considered the 'Group of Death', with favourites Chung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae, the second seeds, Naoki-Shoji and former world champions Tony Gunawan-Howard Bach of the United States.
Two pairs will advance to the last eight and with Jae Sung-Yong Dae favoured to top group, the battle for the second spot will be intense.
"Naoki-Shoji are the pair we need to be careful. They have beaten some of our national pairs while Kien Keat-Boon Heong have a 3-0 record. But they cannot take the Japanese pair for granted," said Kim Her yesterday.
"It will be a huge bonus if we can beat Jae Sung-Yong Dae, and Kien Keat-Boon Heong's match against the Japanese pair will be crucial for our medal aspirations."
Kim Her also sees the group as a blessing in disguise as it will toughen Kien Keat-Boon Heong mentally and they should play better in the quarter-finals.
There is a possibility Kien Keat-Boon Heong will play Ko Sung Hyun-Yoo Yeon Seong in the last eight and Kim Her feels the pressure will be on the Korean No 2.
"Surviving this difficult group will make Kien Keat-Boon Heong stronger and they will be a different pair against Sung Hyun-Yeon Seong in the possible last eight clash," Kim Her added.
"The record favours Sung Hyun-Yeon Seong but they don't have the Olympic experience, so Kien Keat-Boon Heong should take advantage of this and reach the semis.
"There is also a possibility Kien Keat-Boon Heong could meet Mohammad Ahsan-Bona Septano in the last eight but our pair also have the edge in this match as the Indonesians are also very shaky in major events.
"Since our pair are in the same group with Jae Sung-Yong Dae, they can only meet again in the final and that is also a good omen for us.
"Most likely, Kien Keat-Boon Heong will take on Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (of China) in the semi-finals but we have nothing to lose. The China pair lost in the final in 2008 and this will play on their minds.
"If Kien Keat-Boon Heong remain positive, they can secure a medal.
The Olympics is for athletes who are brave and willing to take their chances and Kien Keat-Boon Heong can produce something special if they play without fear."
Malaysia have not won a medal since Cheah Soon Kit-Yap Kim Hock's silver medal effort in 1996 and if Kien Keat-Boon Heong can adopt a no-fear attitude, they may end the 16-year drought at the Wembley Arena on Aug 5.
Courtesy of New Straits Times

London Olympics: What the other medal winners say

Rashid Sidek (BAM singles chief coach)
“I WENT to the 1996 Atlanta Games with a big burden on my slender shoulders. Malaysia had won the country’s first medal at the 1992 Barcelona Games through my brothers Razif-Jalani in the men’s doubles and everyone was hoping for me to deliver a medal this time.
I defeated two former world champions – Indonesians Joko Surprianto and Hariyanto Arbi. I beat Joko in the quarter-finals but lost to Dong Jiong of China in the last four.
In the playoffs, I beat Hariyanto for the bronze. It was the country’s first singles medal and I was pleased. I am happy that Lee Chong Wei has gone one step better by winning the silver medal and I hope he will bring back the gold medal this time.”
Cheah Soon Kit (chief coach of Looi Badminton Academy)
“EVERY four years, the memories of winning the country’s first silver medal in the men’s doubles event at the Olympic Games come flooding back.
I cannot believe that my achievement with (Yap) Kim Hock at the 1996 Atlanta Games is still the best for the country in a badminton event at the Olympics. That was 16 years ago.
“I hope the wait for the glitter of gold will be fulfilled at the London Games. I hope our players will take it one match at a time and not put undue pressure on themselves.”
Yap Kim Hock (doubles coach at Bukit Jalil Sports School)
“I COULD not sleep on the eve of the Olympic Games final against Rexy Mainaky-Ricky Subagja of Indonesia. Our preparation for the Olympic Games began two years earlier.
We were the second seeds behind the Indonesians and, naturally, we were expected to meet in the final. I was quite nervous. We, however, lost to them despite leading and it was disappointing. We had a chance to become the first Malaysians to win the gold medal but we blew it. The Indonesians played better at the crucial stages.
“Despite the loss, Soon Kit and I could still walk with our heads held high – as the country’s first Olympic silver medallists.”

London Olympics: Chen Long hurdle for Chong Wei

World No. 2 Lee Chong Wei is unperturbed that China’s Chen Long is in his half of the draw.
Chong Wei, who is the top seed for the Olympics, has an easy enough opening round with only Finland’s Ville Lang for company in Group A.
The Malaysian was given the top seeding based on the world rankings in May. Chong Wei’s arch rival Lin Dan, the reigning Olympic champion and current world number one, is seeded second.
Lin Dan, who is in the bottom half of the draw, also has an open run to the knockout stages with just unheralded Scott Evans of Ireland in his group.
The winners of the 16 groups advance to the knockout round where the 29-year-old Chong Wei is expected to meet Indonesia’s Simon Santoso.
He is then projected to come up against Japan’s Kenichi Tago in the quarter-finals and the dangerous Chen Long in the semi-finals, if he lives up to his seeding.
The third seeded Chen Long, however, must first overcome Thailand’s unpredictable Boonsak Ponsana, who comes into the tournament in good form after winning the Singapore Open last month.
The other top players in Chong Wei’s half of the draw are Denmark’s Peter Gade Christensen, South Korean Shon Wan-ho and Vietnam’s Nguyen Tien Minh.
Defending champion Lin Dan, the second seed, has compatriot Chen Jin, Sho Sasaki (Japan), Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia) and Lee Hyun-il (South Korea) with him in the bottom half of the draw.
Chong Wei emphasised that he had to deal with his opponents one match at a time.
“It doesn’t matter who it is as past records mean nothing in the Olympics. Every player must be given due respect,” said Chong Wei when contacted in Bath.
“I’m expected to play Simon Santoso in the last 16 and although the stats are in my favour, I will have to give it my best.
“It’s pointless talking about potential opponents when I need to clear one hurdle at a time.”
Lang will be Chong Wei’s first match since May 22, when he tore right ankle ligaments at the Thomas Cup Finals in Wuhan.
BA of Malaysia (BAM) high performance director Datuk James Selvaraj said the draw was pretty much what they expected it to be.
“We were only waiting to see if it was Chen Long or Chen Jin in Chong Wei’s path,” said James.
“Obviously, Chen Jin would have been the better option but we’ll just have to deal with it.
“Chong Wei is ready for action, whoever it is he has to meet.”
Lin Dan and Chen Jin are seeded to repeat their semi-final clash of Beijing 2008.
The Chinese women have won the last three Olympic singles gold medals and are favoured again with the top three seeded players: No. 1 Wang Yihan, No. 2 Wang Xin, and No. 3 Li Xuerui, all making their Olympic debuts.
Li Xuerui, the form player on tour after a 30-match winning streak, is in Wang Xin’s half of the draw.
Wang Yihan’s half features the two best non-Chinese threats for the gold, No. 4 Saina Nehwal of India and No. 5 Tine Baun of Denmark.
Malaysia’s Tee Ying Ji is in Group B with South Korea’s Bae Yeon-ju and Italy’s Agnese Allegrini of Italy.
The badminton competition starts on Saturday.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Ahlan Wasahlan Ya Ramadhan


Lilyana Natsir: The key to Indonesia’s golden hopes

Whether partnered by Nova Widianto or Tontowi Ahmad, the on-court prowess of Lilyana Natsir makes her a formidable foe.
At the London Olympics, opponents will again be wary of the experienced Indonesian who – in Mixed Doubles with Ahmad – carries her country’s best hopes for badminton glory.
Over the past decade the 26-year-old has had her nation’s fortunes on her racket in countless doubles duels, initially paired with Widianto and more recently with Ahmad. Natsir may not have reached the stardom of celebrated former men’s singles champion, Taufik Hidayat, but her immense strength of character and skill in negotiating the testy waters of mixed-doubles badminton with different partners has earned her respect at home and abroad. She is not to be taken lightly.
This doubles specialist enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Widianto, winning two World Championships gold medals (2005 and 2007) and a silver at the Beijing Olympics four years ago. Widianto, a clever and deceptive player at the back, was well complemented by Natsir’s steely nerves and inventiveness at the net. The pair served Indonesian badminton admirably. However, towards the end of his career, Widianto began to lose his sting in attack and team management decided to pair Natsir with the younger Tontowi Ahmad.
“Nova was getting old and did not have much power,” Natsir noted. “Tontowi is younger, so (he has) more power. They have different styles. Tontowi attacks more but Nova had very good technique.”
The new duo achieved instant success, lifting the Indonesia Open GP Gold title in October 2010. They went on a three-title streak the next year, winning the  India Open Superseries, the Malaysia Open GP Gold and the Singapore Open Superseries. This year they became only the second Indonesian pair – after Christian Hadinata and Imelda Wiguna in 1979 – to win the Mixed Doubles at the All England Superseries Premier (pictured right). The Swiss Open (GP Gold) and the India Open Superseries titles followed, giving them another hat-trick of major titles. They are now No.4 in the BWF rankings.
“Winning the All England title made me more confident with Tontowi,” said Natsir, who was previously ranked No.1 with Widianto. “I’m looking forward to the next big competition, the Olympics. I’m hoping to win the gold medal.”
Natsir is the senior partner in this new union. Given her experience in reading opponents and match situations, she is often seen instructing Ahmad who, for the most part, has lived up to expectations.
“With Nova, he had the experience and was the senior partner,” Lilayana observed. “But with Tontowi, I have to take charge as the senior.”
Having reached the Olympic final in Beijing, Natsir knows how tough the battle for the gold will be. Four years ago, she and Widianto fell to Koreans, Lee Yong Dae and Lee Hyo Jung, at the last hurdle. Natsir is not thinking that far ahead on this occasion, just contemplating their opening fixture.
“I want to think only about the first match. There’s a lot of pressure on us for the Olympics. Indonesians are looking to us to win the gold.”
Tontowi Ahmad nods affirmatively, well aware of the national anticipation building behind their Olympic campaign.
“This will be my first Olympic Games, so of course I’m nervous but looking at our results this year, especially at the All England, we’re confident we can do well.”

Shuttlers in Bath to visit Oxford University today

After undergoing one week of a punishing training regime, the national shuttlers in Bath will finally get a day off – and they will head for a visit to the famed Oxford University today.
The team have been put through two sessions of non-stop training daily since arriving in Bath last Thursday. This included gym, track running and court workouts.
So much for reduced training intensity! Anyway, it’s only fitting that the team should take a day off and visit one of the most famous universities in the United Kingdom.
“The whole team will make a day trip to Oxford and Bicester, which is only about two hours from Bath by bus,” said BA of Malaysia (BAM) high performance director Wong Ah Jit via e-mail.
“Despite trying to reduce the intensity, the training has still been quite high tempo, with the players fully focused and committed to the cause.
“Besides, the off day will also give our two chefs – Foong Poh Wah and Noor Badariah Badardin – a breather too. They have been cooking non-stop since the team first arrived!
“Team spirit is also high and everyone is looking forward to the final countdown.”
The team will leave for London on Saturday.
Courtesy of The Star

London Olympics: All depends on the draw

KOO Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong can only hope that fate will be kind to them when the Olympic draw is done on Monday.
If they are drawn in the same group as title favourites Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng of China and South Korea's Chung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae, their hopes of reaching the semi-finals will be dimmed.
National men's doubles chief coach Tan Kim Her, in a telephone interview from the University of Bath, said Monday's draw will be crucial and he believes Kien Keat-Boon Heong's medal chances will be boosted if they can avoid the top two pairs.
This is because only two pairs in each of the four groups will advance to the quarter-finals and Kim Her feels Kien Keat-Boon Heong do not need the added pressure of having to play either Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng or Jae Sung-Yong Dae, with whom the Malaysians have struggled in recent times, in the preliminaries.
"Cai Yun-Haifeng and Jae Sung-Yong Dae are dangerous and we hope that Kien Keat-Boon Heong can avoid their group. If they avoid the top two, the chances of reaching the quarter-finals and, progressing to the medal rounds, will be good," said Kim Her.
"Not that Kien Keat-Boon Heong are afraid to play them but we don't know the two other combinations who will be in the same group. The pressure will be high to clinch one of the two spots for the quarter-finals.
"It doesn't matter if we play Jae Sung-Yong Dae or Cai Yun-Haifeng in the quarter-finals or beyond that. The two pairs will be under more pressure in the knockout stage because they haven't won the Olympic gold and this is also their last chance to do so.
"The whole scenario will change in the knockout stage and Kien Keat-Boon Heong can take advantage as the underdogs.
"Since Pang (Cheh Chang) took over from Rexy (Mainaky) in September, the target was to get Kien Keat-Boon Heong back among the top four so that they will be seeded and this would have helped them avoid their main rivals in the group stage. However, we couldn't achieve it.
Kim Her said the training stint in Bath has been good for Kien Keat-Boon Heong and is looking forward for a top performance from them when the competition begins at Wembley Stadium on July 28.
"They have prepared well and the environment in Bath has been good for them to remain focused on their task."
The players have been training in Bath for the last four days and have been given a break today.
Courtesy of New Straits Times

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

NOT GIVING UP: Title is within reach despite pair's recent problems

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Tan Boon Heong (left) and Koo Kien Keat are out to prove the critics wrong by playing above themselves at the Wembley Arena in London.
AS far as Tan Boon Heong is concerned, competing in the Olympics is only about winning gold and that is exactly what he and partner Koo Kien Keat are aiming for in London.
Their recent form suggests otherwise but Boon Heong, who will be featuring in his second Olympics, said he has stopped fretting about that.
Neither is he worried about their weakness in defence, preferring instead to focus on their attacking prowess, which he is confident will bring them Olympic joy.
"The target is gold. That is why everyone wants to play in the Olympics. Our form has been like this (inconsistent) for some time now but we have to try and win, no matter what condition we are in," said Boon Heong, before leaving for London on Thursday.
Boon Heong admitted the quality of their rivals has improved since the 2008 Games but said that every pair has ups and downs while several other factors will also come into play when the battle for gold begins at the Wembley Arena on July 28.
The main contenders for the title are China's Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng and Chung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae of South Korea. Defending champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia failed to qualify.
"The chances are still there for gold as no one can say for sure that the title is theirs. There have been so many surprises in the Olympics and Markis-Hendra were also not favoured to win in 2008.
"So many other elements also have to betaken into consideration. The pressure will be immense and even top pairs can find the going tough.
"Sometimes, the speed of the shuttle can change the course of a match. Cai Yun-Haifeng are good in attack but if slower shuttles are used, they will also struggle. Jae Sung-Yong Dae are good in defence but they still have to attack to kill the rallies.
"As for me, I just don't want to focus too much on our weakness because it is too late to improve our defending. Our strong point is attack and we will rely on that.
"We must make sure our condition is good and we also need to be smart in varying our attacking game."
This is the third year running that Kien Keat-Boon Heong are undergoing a training stint at the University of Bath before a major event.
They reached the final of the World Championships in Paris in 2010 and they will be hoping that the current stint pays dividends and they return with, if not gold, a medal.

Janji raih pingat: Kim Her

TAN Kim Her yakin situasi terkini beregu lelaki negara Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong yang menjalani latihan pusat di Universiti Bath, London, menjanjikan satu pingat pasti dibawa pulang.
Ketua jurulatih beregu lelaki negara itu berkata, latihan di Bath dilakukan seperti biasa namun paling penting keadaan pemainnya itu berada di tahap terbaik ketika ini.

“Kalau mereka mengekalkan keadaan, saya yakin peluang meraih pingat amat baik sekali,” kata Kim Her.
Begitupun, selepas banyak peluang diberikan kepada gandingan itu hinggakan Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) tidak meletakkan sebarang sasaran kecuali di temasya Olimpik, sasaran sekadar membawa pulang pingat meskipun bukan emas, menggambarkan jurulatih itu sebenarnya tidak cukup yakin dengan persiapan yang dilakukan.

“Semuanya bergantung kepada keadaan pemain pada hari pertandingan, siapa berani mengeluarkan permainan mereka dan mempunyai kekuatan mental, peluang meraih pingat amat tinggi.” Kim Her mengecilkan skop pencabar yang mampu menggugat peluang gandingan negara itu dengan memilih lawan dari China, Korea dan Denmark sebagai berbahaya.

“Kami memang fokus kepada beberapa gandingan, namun paling penting adalah memastikan keadaan mereka kekal di tahap terbaik selain mengelakkan masalah kecederaan atau demam,” kata Kim Her lagi.

Latihan skuad badminton negara di Bath bermula 13 Julai selepas bertolak dari Kuala Lumpur pada 12 Julai lalu. Mereka turut diiringi sokongan petugas Institut Sukan Negara (ISN) bagi memastikan semua pemain beraksi di Olimpik London mencapai kemuncak prestasi.

Mesej ‘sembunyi’ Zulfadli

SUKAN Malaysia (Sukma) menjadi satu lagi bukti pemain KLRC, Zulfadli Zulkifli adalah yang terbaik di Malaysia selepas Datuk Lee Chong Wei.
Juara remaja Asia, Komanwel dan Dunia 2011 itu dinafikan peluang beraksi di Piala Thomas Mei lalu kerana Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) tidak bersedia mengiktiraf kejayaan pemain yang tidak bernaung di bawah mereka, apabila mengatakan kejayaan peringkat remaja tidak mencerminkan kemampuan pemain terbabit.

Begitupun, Zulfadli yang pasti menempuh perit-jerih apabila bergelar pemain profesional pada usia muda, menjadikan KLRC serta bapanya Zulkifli Sidek berada di martabat lebih tinggi berbanding BAM.
Selepas menjuarai tiga gelaran utama tahun lalu, Zulfadli membuktikan pemain yang mengikut program pelapis BAM mahupun Sekolah Sukan Bukit Jalil (SSBJ) bukan pencabarnya di peringkat kebangsaan apabila muncul juara menewaskan pemain Johor, Tan Kiang Meng untuk meraih pingat emas buat kontinjen Kuala Lumpur sedangkan pemain BAM Iskandar Zulkarnain, juga dari Johor sekadar gangsa.

Mungkin ada pihak dalam badan induk badminton negara itu akan mempertikai kejayaan terbaru Zulfadli, bertaraf rendah iaitu hanya membabitkan pemain tempatan, namun perlu diingat BAM juga sering menggunakan alasan pemain bebas atau profesional yang menduduki ranking lebih tinggi berbanding pemain mereka, gagal menempatkan diri di kedudukan terbaik di pentas kebangsaan seperti sirkit kebangsaan.

Perkara ini pernah disebut badan induk itu ketika menjawab persoalan mengapa gandingan KLRC, Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen tidak dipilih mewakili negara di Kejohanan Dunia tahun lalu meskipun gandingan terbabit layak secara automatik.

Malah ketika ini juga KLRC menjadi nadi kebangkitan Fairuzizuan Tazari-Mohd Zakry Latif. Sejak bersatu kembali di bawah kelab terbabit pada September tahun lalu, mereka yang membina semula kerjaya di ranking ke-320 dunia kini berada di kedudukan ke-28, satu peningkatan yang meletakkan mereka sebagai gandingan ketiga terbaik negara di belakang Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong serta Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah.

Kedudukan terkini gandingan profesional ini memungkinkan mereka memburu tempat ke Kejohanan Dunia tahun depan, namun adakah insiden yang dialami Teik Chai-Bin Shen akan berulang kerana BAM masih belum mengeluarkan garis panduan jelas untuk pemilihan pemain mewakili negara di kejohanan besar.
Gandingan ini juga bakal menjadi yang kedua terbaik negara andai BAM benar-benar memisahkan gandingan Kien Keat-Boon Heong sekiranya gagal menghasilkan keputusan yang disasar di Olimpik selepas pelbagai drama oleh gandingan serta jurulatih tiada kesudahan.

Monday, July 16, 2012



ANDREW KAM (kanan) memegang jongkong emas bernilai RM2 juta bersama-sama Chong Wei pada majlis pengumuman insentif tersebut di ibu negara semalam.



JONGKONG emas bernilai RM2 juta. Itu ganjaran yang bakal menanti barisan pemain badminton negara sekiranya mereka berjaya membawa pulang pingat emas daripada temasya Sukan Olimpik 2012 di London yang akan bermula 27 Julai ini.
Ganjaran tersebut adalah sumbangan Kelab Raket Kuala Lumpur (KLRC).
Pengerusi KLRC, Datuk Seri Andrew Kam berkata, insentif jongkong emas itu adalah sebagai tanda sokongan daripada pihaknya terhadap barisan pemain badminton negara yang bakal menggalas cabaran di bumi London nanti.
Katanya, ganjaran tersebut adalah khusus buat barisan pemain badminton negara sahaja.
“Saya cabar pemain-pemain negara yang beraksi pada Sukan Olimpik 2012 nanti untuk berusaha mendapatkan pingat emas.
“Jika berjaya, KLRC menerusi skim hadiah kemenangan kami akan memberikan ganjaran berupa jongkong emas bernilai RM2 juta kepada pemain yang meraih pingat emas.
“Ini semua adalah sokongan KLRC terhadap pemain negara dalam usaha memastikan Malaysia berjaya merealisasikan impian untuk memenangi pingat emas buat kali pertama pada Sukan Olimpik,” kata Andrew.
Andrew berkata demikian pada sidang media bagi mengumumkan ganjaran tersebut di Hotel Hilton, Kuala Lumpur semalam.
Turut hadir, Setiausaha Kehormat Majlis Olimpik Malaysia (MOM), Datuk Sieh Kok Chi dan bekas Presiden Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM), Tan Sri Elyas Omar.
Ditanya mengapa ganjaran tersebut hanya untuk barisan pemain badminton negara dan tidak kepada atlet-atlet yang turut beraksi pada Sukan Olimpik 2012, Andrew berkata: “Saya sangat cintakan sukan badminton.
“Sebab itu, ganjaran ini hanya untuk pemain badminton negara sahaja.”
Bagaimanapun, Andrew menjelaskan bahawa jika terdapat lebih daripada seorang pemain badminton negara yang meraih pingat emas, jongkong emas seberat 12.5 kilogram itu akan dibahagikan sama rata.
Enam pemain negara yang bakal beraksi di London diketuai oleh jaguh perseorangan, Datuk Lee Chong Wei, beregu utama lelaki, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, beregu campuran, Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying dan perseorangan wanita, Tee Jing Yi.
Sementara itu, Chong Wei menganggap ganjaran tersebut bakal menjadi motivasi kepada barisan pemain negara untuk berusaha menyumbangkan pingat emas kepada kontinjen Malaysia.
“Saya harap ganjaran ini akan menaikkan lagi semangat bukan sahaja buat diri saya sendiri tetapi kepada lima lagi pemain yang turut beraksi pada Sukan Olimpik 2012 nanti.
“Jika ada yang mengatakan ia hanya memberi tekanan kepada pemain tetapi bagi saya tidak. Jika kita kekal fokus, kita boleh melakar kejayaan,” jelas Chong Wei yang turut hadir pada majlis tersebut bersama lima lagi pemain negara semalam.
Dengan habuan yang diumumkan oleh KLRC itu, barisan pemain badminton negara berpeluang untuk membawa pulang RM4 juta andai berjaya menjelmakan kilauan pingat emas buat kontinjen Malaysia pada temasya berprestij dunia itu.
Sebelum ini, Kementeria Belia dan Sukan (KBS) menerusi insentif Skim Hadiah Kemenangan Sukan (Shakam) menawarkan RM1 juta kepada setiap pemenang pingat emas Sukan Olimpik.
Jumlah tersebut bertambah apabila sebuah syarikat perabot, 3V Holdings Sdn. Bhd., turut menawarkan ganjaran bernilai RM1 juta kepada atlet yang berjaya meraih pingat emas

Reputable Korean is prime candidate for director of coaching

THE BA of Malaysia's (BAM) mission in the London Olympics is not just about securing the nation's first gold medal but also to be on the lookout for a candidate to be the director of coaching and a familiar figure, Park Joo Bong, appears on the horizon.
Joo Bong, seen as  the best doubles player to grace the sport, had his first stint in Malaysia as the men's doubles coach between 2000 and 2003 and has been Japan's head coach since 2005.
The widely travelled Joo Bong was also England's doubles coach between 1997 and 2000 and also had a short stint at home in 2004 to help out South Korea's doubles preparations.
His experience could be handy if BAM is looking for someone who is hands-on as a coach and also has the managerial experience due to his role in Japan.

Joo Bong guided Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah to the semi-finals of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the last Malaysian pair to reach this stage in the Games, besides guiding Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng to become the World No 1.
Both pairs also made it to the semi-finals of the 2001 World Championships.
Joo Bong has also earned praise for his efforts in turning Japanese shuttlers into world beaters where there has been significant improvement by their men's and women's doubles. Also, men's singles Kenichi Tago and Sho Sasaki have been one of the few  players who have beaten the best in the world.
BAM general manager Kenny Goh said Joo Bong's track record is impressive.

"BAM is not zeroing in on just one candidate as the London Olympics will be a very good avenue as the best coaches will be assembled there.
"Joo Bong has strong credentials and has worked here before but BAM has not spoken to him," said Kenny.
"We do not know whether he is available. At the same time, we are also keeping an open mind and have several choices before the management makes a decision.

BAM is also said to be interested in hiring another foreign coach in Li Mao but the former China international's services with the Indonesia BA (PBSI) will only end after the Olympics. The news has caused a stir among coaches.
Li Mao's previous stint in Malaysia only lasted for 18 months and his current stint  with Indonesia is not  even complete for one year, so BAM will only be courting trouble if it  decides  to rope in the temperamental coach.
However, Joo Bong's arrival could be a boost as he is one of the most experienced coaches in the world.
Courtesy of New Straits Times

Kim Her: Indonesia’s men’s doubles pair not a threat in London

ndonesia have traditionally been the powerhouse in men’s doubles since badminton was included as a medal sport in the Olympics 20 years ago.
Since Barcelona 1992, Indonesia have won three of the men’s doubles gold medals in the last five editions of the Games.
Ricky Subagja-Rexy Mainaky were champions at Atlanta 1996, Tony Gunawan-Chandra Wijaya won at Sydney 2000 and Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan took the honours in Beijing 2008.
Progressing well: Malaysia’s Koo Kien Keat (left) and Tan Boon Heong have shown tremendous improvement in their preparations for the Olympics.
Only the South Koreans have rivalled them, with Kim Moon-soo-Park Joo-bong winning in 1992 and Ha Tae-kwon-Kim Dong-moon at Athens 2004.
For all the doubles talent that Malaysia possess, the closest they ever came to winning gold was when Cheah Soon Kit-Yap Kim Hock lost in the 1996 final against Ricky-Rexy.
This year, however, Indonesia will only have one representative in men’s doubles – Mohd Ahsan-Bona Septano. For the first time in the history of the Games, the defending champions, Markis-Hendra, will not be there as they failed to qualify.
Given Indonesia’s track record, there will be huge expectation on Ahsan-Bona to keep the flag flying. And the world No. 6 pair will surely be fired up for the challenge.
Ahsan-Bona, however, are not in the best of form and have suffered several defeats to lower ranked opponents this year, most notably in the Indonesian Open where they lost in the first round to Malaysia’s Hoon Thien How-Tan Wee Kiong.
National doubles coach Tan Kim Her is not too impressed with the duo either and believes that they are too erratic to mount a serious challenge.
“Ahsan-Bona are a good pair but they aren’t very consistent. It’s common knowledge that they will be split up after the Olympics,” said Kim Her.
“They aren’t performing too well and I don’t think they will be the biggest threat in London. It’s the top four pairs from China, South Korea and Denmark that we have to worry about.
“Since the Indonesian Open last month, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong have been progressing very well in training and there has been a lot of change in their game.
“Kien Keat is now moving a lot faster and mixing up his game and I believe that our duo will have the edge if they meet Ahsan-Bona.”
That being said, Ahsan-Bona have a better head-to-head record against Kien Keat-Boon Heong – 3-2, with the Indonesians winning their last three encounters.
Courtesy of The Star

SUKMA: Zulfadli hits paydirt

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Zulfadli Zulkifli reacts after beating Tan Kian Meng 21-14, 13-21, 21-7 in the singles final yesterday

ZULFADLI Zulkifli returned to the Malaysia Games with a vengeance as he grabbed the men's singles badminton gold medal at the Pahang Sports Complex Indoor Stadium in Kuantan yesterday.
A tug-of-war between Selangor and the Federal Territories prevented Zulfadli from competing in Malacca two years ago and his determination was evident as he overcame a mid-match slump to beat Johor's Tan Kian Meng 21-14, 13-21, 21-7 in the final.
"I did not play two years ago in Malacca as Selangor and FT fought over me. I'm glad I won here as I felt I have improved physically and mentally and that was the difference today," said Zulfadli, 19, now representing FT.
Zulfadli, last year's world junior champion, had not dropped a game prior to the final and found himself facing a surprise opponent.
Kian Meng had profited from the early exits of top seed Misbun Ramdan Misbun of Selangor and fourth seed Loh Wei Sheng of Negri Sembilan.
After attacking Kian Meng's weak backhand to good effect in taking the first game, Zulfadli was unable to cope with the Johor shuttler's attacks in the second after appearing to be rattled by a disputed line call early in the game.
The gold seemed to be slipping away when he fell 4-1 behind in the third but second seed Zulfadli recovered brilliantly, conceding just three more points before taking FT's badminton gold medal tally to three.
"The shuttle was out by a distance (in the second game). It did not affect me," he insisted. "He (Kian Meng) was able to read my game.
"With his height advantage, I had to keep moving fast. It was a close game but once I got a big lead (in the third) the pressure on him to chase was too great."
Zulfadli plans to take a short break to let his knee recover from a gruelling campaign before competing at the Vietnam Open Grand Prix Gold next month.
"I need the break to recover because the bone in my knee, according to the experts, is still growing. Then I'll return to training to prepare for Vietnam," he said.
FT emerged top of the badminton medal tally after Chow Mei Kuan-Shevon Lai Jemie won the women's doubles gold to add to the women's team triumph earlier but missed out on the women's singles title when Sonia Cheah suffered a meltdown against Selangor's Yang Li Lian, who won 12-21, 21-8, 21-13.
RESULTS -- Men's singles final: Zulfadli Zulkifli (FT) bt Tan Kian Meng (Joh) 21-14, 13-21, 21-7; Bronze: Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin (Joh) bt Lim Yu Fu (Sab) 21-16, 21-18.
Doubles final: Ow Yao Han-Tai An Khang (Mal) bt Goh Jian Hao-Pang Zheng Lin (Ked) 21-12, 21-15; Bronze: Tan Wee Tat-Teo Ee Yi (Joh) bt Lai Zing Neng-Roni Tan (Sar) 24-22, 17-21, 24-22.
Women's singles final: Yang Li Lian (Sel) bt Sonia Cheah (FT) 12-21, 21-8, 21-13; Bronze: M. Thinaah (Sel) bt Lim Chiew Sien (Joh) 21-19, 21-7.
Doubles final: Chow Mei Kuan-Shevon Lai Jemie (FT) bt S. Kisona-Ng Hui Ern (NS) 21-14, 21-18; Bronze: Ti Wei Chyi-Yap Zhen (Joh) bt Erica Khoo-Peck Yen Wei (FT) 16-21, 21-16, 21-18.
Mixed doubles final: Chooi Kah Ming-Lai Pei Jing (Pah) bt Low Juan Shen-Ng Hui Ern (NS) 19-21, 21-19, 21-17; Bronze: Ow Yao Han-Lee Meng Yean (Mal) bt Teo Ee Yi-Lim Chiew Sien (Joh) 21-16, 21-13.
Courtesy of New Straits Times

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

2012 Olympic Games Qualification: Li Xuerui's London calling

The final qualifying phase of the London 2012 Olympic Games has concluded on 9 July with world number 3 Li Xuerui receiving her London call-up after China turned down world number 4 Wang Shixian's invitation.
After an inconsistent second half of 2011, Wang had found herself barely hanging on to her world number 3 spot on May 3, the cut-off date of the Olympic qualification period. While Li (pictured right), who was ranked 4th on May 3, was a mere 696.7 points behind Wang.
Less than a month later, the 21-year-old overtook Wang on May 31, and now sits comfortably ahead with 3944.5913 points clear.
Li held an impressive 30-match unbeaten run record between February to June this year, bagging 5 individual titles including the prestigious Yonex All-England Open title after a courageous final's performance against world number 1 Wang Yihan.
After winning the title, Li had not dreamed of qualifying for London 2012 but consistency was to be her middle-name when she remained unbeaten to pick up her second Asian Championships title and her second OSIM BWF World Superseries title in India in April.
Li's winning streak finally came to an end at her 6th consecutive final of the year, but only after a gruelling 65-minute battle against India's Saina Nehwal that ended in nail-biting scores of 21-13 20-22 19-21.
22-year-old Wang Shixian (pictured left), on the other hand, started the year brightly with a World Superseries Premier title in Korea but took a roller-coaster ride falling to Juliane Schenk and Saina Nehwal who are both ranked below her.
Wang had sat on the world number 1 spot for 29 weeks in 2011 but an unexpected quarter-final exit at the 2011 Yonex World Championships in London was to be her turning point as she slipped to the world number 2 spot the following week.
Wang briefly regained her world number 1 spot for 3 weeks in November, but early exits at the 2011 Yonex French Open and 2011 Li-Ning China Open meant she had to contend with ending the year in the precarious world number 3 spot.
A country can have up to 3 Olympic singles qualification berths if at least 3 players qualify in the top 4.
During the earlier qualifying phases, Maria Febe Kusumastuti (Indonesia), Jeanine Cicognini (Switzerland), Anne Hald Jensen (Greece) and Claudia Mayer (Austria) had their women's singles invitations declined.
Indonesia, Switzerland and Austria then subsequently accepted the invitations of Adrianti Firdasari, Sabrina Jacquet and Simone Prutsch respectively.
New Zealand also turned down the invitations of Michelle Chan (women's singles) and James Eunson (men's singles), while Netherlands turned down the men's singles invitation of Eric Pang. Both New Zealand and Netherlands did not receive further invitations, and their spots were offered to players in the reserve lists.
Czech Republic's cancer-beater Petr Koukal (pictured right), who benefited from Pang and Eunson's absence, received double joy when he was also appointed his country's Olympic flagbearer last week. (Read our feature on Koukal here.)
The full London 2012 qualifying lists in different phases can be viewed on this page. The 'live' draw ceremony will be held on 23 July at the Main Press Center in the Olympic Park in London

London Olympics: Gold medallist will be rewarded with a 12.5kg gold bar worth a fortune


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The players having a feel of the gold bar with Datuk Seri Andrew Kam (third from left).
WITH Malaysians hoping the elusive Olympic gold medal will be delivered in London later this month, KL Racquet Club owner Datuk Seri Andrew Kam has promised a gold bar, worth RM2 million, to a local gold medallist in badminton. This is in addition to the government and private incentives already on the table.
The 12.5kg gold bar will be shared should there be more than one gold medallist but it applies only to badminton.
The incentive is on top of the national sports scheme of RM1 million for a gold medal along with the RM1 million carrot pledged by furniture company, Three V Holdings, recently.
This means a shuttler, who wins an Olympic title, can earn RM4 million for his effort.
Andrew, who owns a gold mine in Raub, hopes the incentive will spur the shuttlers to win Malaysia's first Olympic gold medal.
"This is my challenge to our players. I hope it will motivate them to try even harder. I will only reward the gold medallist," said Andrew after announcing KLRC's incentive at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
"If you ask me how did I come up with this idea... well, I am a gold producer and I believe in producing only the best.
"You (shuttlers) produce a gold medal, I will give you a gold bar."
On why he has made such an offer, Andrew said: "Badminton is my life... I love the sport. It is my way of motivating our players," said Andrew.
Olympic-bound shuttlers Lee Chong Wei, Koo Kien Keat, Tan Boon Heong, Chan Peng Soon, Goh Liu Ying and Tee Jing Yi, together with former Olympic bronze medallist Razif Sidek, Olympic Council of Malaysia secretary general Datuk Sieh Kok Chi and former BA of Malaysia president Tan Sri Elyas Omar were among the attendees.
"Chong Wei has a good chance of winning the singles title if he puts his mind to it but we must not write off Kien Keat-Boon Heong and Peng Soon-Liu Ying, who are also capable of going far," Andrew added.
Chong Wei, a two-time All England champion, was one of the most excited shuttlers yesterday.
"I have only held a gold bar once in my life. It was two years ago after winning my first All-England title.
"My wish is to own a gold bar one day and KLRC's offer will further encourage me to try my best in London.
"However, the focus is, of course, on one of us to win Malaysia's first ever Olympic title," said Chong Wei.
On his preparations for the Olympics, Chong Wei said he will make his final push in training during the stint in Bath.
The national team, together with sparring players, leave for Bath tomorrow.
"I am 80 per cent prepared but of course, I need to push harder to reach my full potential," Chong Wei added.
Courtesy of New Straits Times

London Olympics: Maybank present special racquet to shuttlers

Can you imagine having the names of 44,215 Malaysian badminton fans etched onto a single racquet?
Yes, that was what world No. 2 Lee Chong Wei received on behalf of the Malaysian shuttlers bound for the London Olympic Games yesterday.
The special memento, symbolising the roaring voices of Malaysians from all walks of life, was presented to the badminton team in a bid to spur them on to end Malaysia’s chase for the elusive Olympic gold medal.
The badminton competition is from July 28-Aug 5 and the team will leave on Thursday for their final stage of preparation at the Bath Uni­ver­sity before they move their base to Wembley.
The special nano-etched racquet was presented by Maybank and was specially designed by experts at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. The unique racquet was handed over to Chong Wei by Maybank president and chief operating officer Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar during a special sending-off dinner for the Malaysian team.
Wahid was pleased with the commitment shown by the Malaysian team ahead of the Olympic Games.
“The dream of an Olympic gold is shared by 28 million, including me. Badminton has been the sole shining beacon with silver and bronze contributions for the country so far. And we are hungry for more,” he said.
“We had initiated the ‘Go for Gold’ campaign. It gave Malaysians a chance to pen their names and words of encouragement to our players. They were then etched on the strings of a badminton racquet. There are 44,215 names. This is now a symbolic tool to represent the spirit of Malaysians rallying our players at the London Olympic Games.”
He reminded the players to show fighting spirit, harking back to the 2006 Malaysian Open final when Chong Wei fought back from 13-20 in the rubber game to eventually beat China’s Lin Dan 23-21.
“I still remember Chong Wei’s dramatic fightback. This shows that we can achieve anything if we put our mind to it. My advice is: never give up.”
Maybank also named two ardent badminton fans – Ling Shih Shiun and Nik Mohd Azhar Nik Hussin – as winners of their best slogan competition aimed at inspiring the Olympic-bound team. The duo will be sent to London to support the team.
Courtesy of The Star

Monday, July 2, 2012

Asian Junior Championships: Shuttlers beat India and Thailand to charge into s-finals

Malaysia came back strongly from the opening day defeat to Hong Kong to storm into the semi-finals of the mixed team event at the Asian Junior Badminton Championships in Gimcheon, South Korea, yesterday.
The top seeded national juniors had suffered an unexpected defeat against Hong Kong on Saturday and looked to be in danger of missing the quarter-finals.
But the team looked determined to make the last eight and, led by national junior champion Soong Joo Ven, powered past India 3-2 in their final group match to make the cut.

In great form: Soong Joo Ven played with confidence to lead Malaysia to victory over India and Thailand.
Joo Ven scored an excellent 21-17, 20-22, 21-10 win over India’s Sameer Verma to pave the way for the team.
The mixed pair of Tan Wee Gieen-Chow Mei Kuan and the boys’ doubles of Darren Isaac Devadass-Tai An Khang also bounced back from opening day defeats against Hong Kong to hand Malaysia an unassailable 3-1 lead.
India took two points from P.V. Sindhu in the girls’ singles and Sindhu-K. Maneesha in the doubles.
In the last eight, Malaysia were once again on fire against Thailand, who had earlier shocked hosts South Korea in a Group C match, with Wee Gieen-Mei Kuan combining well once again to beat SitthikomThammasin-Lam Narissapat 19-21, 21-15, 21-14.
Joo Ven then carried on his fine form by whipping Khosit Phetpradab 21-14, 21-11 to give Malaysia a 2-0 lead.
Thailand reduced the deficit when rising star Busanan Ongbun-rungphan outclassed Lim Chiew Sien 21-13, 21-13 in the girls’ singles.
But Malaysia sealed the win when Wee Gieen-Calvin Ong battled back from a game down to beat Natpaphon Kitphaibool-Puthaporn Bvornwatanuwong 20-22, 21-17, 21-13 for the winning point.
Malaysia next face nemesis China in the last four and will be looking to avenge their defeat in the last two finals.
BA of Malaysia (BAM) junior programme coordinator Hau Kim Tho believes the team had a morale boosting win over Thailand but will start as underdogs against China.
“It was a great result both against India and Thailand. The players really stepped up today after their defeat to Hong Kong,” said Kim Tho.
“Joo Ven played very well and is certainly in fine form. We need him to maintain his level if we are to make the final.
“I believe we are the underdogs against China. Hopefully, that will make our players try harder.”
The other semi-final is between South Korea and Japan. The hosts defeated Hong Kong 3-0 while Japan outclassed Indonesia 3-0 in the quarter-finals.
Courtesy of The Star

Malaysia's golden boy still hunting for titles

His aim is to win the nation's elusive gold medal. And Lee Chong Wei has his heart set on being on the podium at the Wembley Arena come August 5, singing the Negaraku, the Malaysian national anthem on the top of his voice.

That is his dream, his childhood ambition, winning the gold medal means more than anything else in the world.
It almost became undone, a freak injury to his ankle almost put paid to his appearance at the London Olympic Games. But he has preserved and despite many writing off his chances, Chong Wei prefers to look at the brightside of life.
"Maybe the injury is a blessing in disguise for it has somewhat eased the pressure. Many are skeptical about my chances at the Olympics. And frankly it does not bother me one bit as I know what it takes to win the elusive gold medal for Malaysia. I intend to put every ounce of effort in order to bag the gold, that is my vow to the fans," said Chong Wei at a media luncheon he hosted at Stadium Juara.
"I am slowly regaining my fitness and form. Though the phobia factor is still at the back of my head, I hope to utilise the next one month to overcome this. More importantly my form is coming back and in terms of preparation lets say that I am at almost 70% of what I am when I am normal. Let us hope that I will continue to progress in rehabilitation and put up a display that will make the nation proud."
Chong Wei said that London will be his last attempt to win honours at the Olympics and has ruled himself out of making another attempt, should he fail, in Brazil in 2016.
"At times we cannot win everything. Not all are fortunate to win major events. For example Peter Gade has yet to win the Olympics, Taufik Hidayat has never won the All England. Only Lin Dan has achieved everything. As for me I will take another shot at the World Championships, Commonwealth Games, Thomas Cup and the Asian Games before calling it quits," conceded Chong Wei.
The world number one also made an impassionate plea to the members of the Malaysian media present at the function which was also attended by BAM Secretary Ng Chin Chai, BAM General Manager Kenny Ng, coaches Tey Seu Bock, Rashid Sidek, Jeremy Gan, Tan Kim Her and Pang Cheh Chiang as well as NSI's Col (R) Wong Ah Jit.
"My idea of hosting this lunch is to meet the media and also to thank them for all your support towards badminton. Let us all work together to ensure that Malaysian badminton delivers the desired results at London. We as players and officials cannot do it alone and need the support of the media. You all have been wonderful all these years and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the positive reports and hope you continue to support Malaysian badminton," said Chong Wei in paying tribute to the Malaysian media.

Euro 2012: Spain seal historic win (An extra news around)

Spain became the first European team to ever win three back-to-back international tournaments as they defended the European Championship with a comfortable 4-0 win over Italy thanks to goals from David Silva, Jordi Alba, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata in Kiev.
The game was effectively over at half-time after Spain cut through their opponents with two incisive passes. First it was Andres Iniesta who found Cesc Fabregas to cross for Silva to head home; then it was Xavi whose fine through-ball reached left-back Jordi Alba to calmly slot home.
It was all too much for Mario Balotelli, who marched straight down the tunnel at the end and angrily shrugged away efforts from Italian officials to get him to stay, before returning for the presentation ceremony.
Yet the thing was, Italy were not disgraced and would have held out hopes of a comeback until Cesare Prandelli's final replacement Thiago Motta was stretchered off within four minutes of his arrival, leaving his team-mates to battle through the final half hour with 10 men.
Ultimately though, Spain's display was a fitting end to the best European Championships in almost three decades. Four players in particular, Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Andres Iniesta and Xavi deserve a special mention after starting all three finals, in Vienna, Johannesburg and now Kiev.
But, as 'Ole' rang around this magnificent stadium, it was a night to glory in tiki-taka - and the players who put it into practice. Throughout the tournament, the argument for Spain being a dour outfit had been building. It dominated the pre-match press conferences and was fuelled still further by Arsene Wenger, who accused the world champions of "betraying their philosophy'' by turning their tiki-taka style into a negative.
After 15 minutes of the most majestic football imaginable, the greatest noise was the sound of all those words being rammed jubilantly down throats. Coach Vicente del Bosque refused to bow to the demand for a regular centre-forward to be included in his starting line-up and was rewarded with a start the quality of which was on a par with anything this group of players has ever produced.
Ramos had a couple of early efforts, so too Xavi. Andres Iniesta also had a shot blocked before Spain cut their opponents' defence to shreds. The move was astounding in its simplicity. Alvaro Arbeloa started it, Xavi was also involved before Iniesta split the Italy defence with a pass Cesc Fabregas was able to cut-back from the by-line. And who should be there to head home? None other than little David Silva, who had got free at the near post and flicked the ball into the far.
By half-time, Spain had another. Again five passes were involved. This time it went back to front. Iker Casillas, Fabregas and then Alba, who fed Xavi and kept motoring. What unfolded can only make Barcelona thankful they had agreed to pay Valencia €14 million for the full-back before the tournament started. His price would have gone up significantly otherwise.
Xavi has played that straight through ball thousands of times in his illustrious career. The pace on it was perfect. Alba, beyond Italy's back-line, steadied himself before sliding a shot calmly past Gianluigi Buffon.
Under normal circumstances, the half-time statistics would have underlined Spain's superiority. In fact, they showed Italy had played more passes and secured 53% possession, almost unheard of against this Spain team. With Casillas not enjoying his most secure evening, the Azzurri would have expected to create something meaningful. But the bounce of the ball would not go their way.
Casillas got in the way of a thunderous effort from Antonio Cassano and Balotelli fired over. No-one could accuse Prandelli of lacking guts. Within 11 minutes of the re-start he had used all his substitutes and seen one of them Antonio di Natale bring a decent save out of Casillas after collecting Riccardo Montolivo's pass inside the area.
Unfortunately for Italy, the last replacement, Motta was only on the field for four minutes before he pulled a hamstring and had to be stretchered off. It was dreadful luck for the Azzurri, who now knew their task was a hopeless one. All that was left was to stave off humiliation. Even that was beyond them as substitutes Torres and Mata struck in the final minutes.
Italy didn't deserve that. Their first competitive defeat to Spain - penalties excepted - since the 1920 Olympics. Spain, record breakers twice over, now unbeaten in this competition for 29 games, a run that stretches back to June 2004. History makers. How boring.