Friday, November 30, 2012

Badminton doubles tactics

Doubles is a team game — a team of two. Many doubles players, however, act as though they are playing singles twice.
This article will teach you how to cover the court effectively as a pair, and how to choose the right shots.

Tactics depend on skills

Your range of tactical options will be heavily influenced by your hitting skill, your movement skill, and your physical fitness.
For example: if your smash is weak, then it will be a much less effective choice of shot. Or if you are unfit, then you will miss out on many attacking opportunities.
This guide is written with the assumption that you do not have any obvious weaknesses. I understand that’s an unrealistic assumption for most players!
You will need to adapt your tactics to cover your weaknesses — and also to exploit your opponents’ weaknesses!
And of course, you can train to eliminate your weaknesses.

Strategy before tactics!

At high levels of play, one basic strategy is completely dominant: aggressive attacking play! Attacking play usually beats defensive play — in the end.

What is attacking in doubles?

Attacking in doubles involves hitting the shuttlecock downwards, especially with net kills and smashes. These two shots are the most common winning shots.
Any shot can potentially become an attacking shot — even a lift — but when we talk about attacking play in doubles, we really mean hitting downwards.

The defenders’ dilemma

Attacking play — in the sense of hitting down — is not dominant in singles. That’s because it’s easy to escape the attack: you just have to block the opponent’s smash back to the net.
In doubles, however, it is difficult to escape the attack because the two attackers work together to maintain their attack. One player smashes from the back, and the other intercepts any replies to the net or midcourt.
Attacking play is based around the smash. When you play a powerful smash, it creates a dilemma for the defenders. What can they do? If they lift the shuttlecock, you just continue smashing. If they block the shuttlecock to the net instead, your partner will play a net kill.
It is possible to escape the attack, of course; and indeed, turning defence into attack is a crucial element of good doubles play.
If you’ve never played against a strong attacking pair, it’s hard to appreciate just how difficult it can be to escape the attack. Once they started smashing, you can easily find yourself trapped: your defence crumbles a little each shot; the smasher is a little nearer each time; and the front player cuts out all your attempts at counter-attack.
If you’re still in any doubt about the supremacy of attacking in doubles, watch some world-class men’s doubles matches (Wijaya/Gunawan vs. Cai/Fu is a good start).

The downside to attacking play

Attacking play is exhausting. You need a high level of fitness to maintain a prolonged, powerful attack. You also need determination: you need to be motivated to make the effort.
Smashing requires a violent throwing action. Covering the court so that you can keep on smashing requires fast, explosive movements including sideways and backwards jumps.
While the attackers are doing all this hard physical work, the defenders are standing relatively still and using little effort to lift the shuttlecock. It’s common to see the attacking pair leaping all over the court, while the defending pair hardly moves.
But it’s worth the effort. The defenders are likely to make the first mistake. It’s difficult to maintain an accurate defence; eventually, a lift will travel long or short of the back tramlines. If it’s long, then you win the point just by letting it fall out; if it’s short, then you have a chance to play a decisive smash.

Fairuzizuan-Vountus advance in Macau Open

PROFESSIONAL pair Fairuzizuan Tazari-Vountus Indra Mawan advanced to the quarter-finals of the Macau Open as veteran Wong Choong Hann's campaign came to an end in the third round yesterday.
Fairuz-Vountus upset third seeds Yonathan Dasuki-Hendra Gunawan of Indonesia 14-21, 22-20, 21-11 and will play another Indonesian pair Alvent Yulianto-Markis Kido in the last eight today.
National back-up pair Chooi Kah Ming-Ow Yao Han were shown the exit in the second round when they suffered a 21-17, 21-9 thrashing at the hands of South Koreans Yoo Yeon Seong-Shin Baek Cheol.
Choong Hann, 34, didn't have the energy to overcome K. Srikanth of India and suffered a 21-17, 15-21, 21-12 defeat in 53 minutes.
Women's doubles Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei lost 21-12, 18-21 21-6 to Taiwan's Wang Pei Rong-Wen Kuo Yu.
Meanwhile, Tain Aik Quan-Lai Pei Jing lost 21-17, 21-14 to top seeds Ahmad Tantowi-Liliyana Natsir of Indonesia in the mixed doubles.
The Macau Open didn't attract any top names who will be focusing on the Super Series Finals in Shenzhen on Dec 12-16.
Lee Chong Wei withdrew from the event to focus on the Super Series Finals while Liew Daren is the other Malaysian who have qualified for the event.
The other players in the men's singles who have qualified for the Super Series Finals are China's Chen Long and Du Pengyu, Japanese duo Kenichi Tago and Du Pengyu, Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand and Hu Yun of Hong Kong.
Courtesy of New Straits Times

Coach Kim Her expects Koo and Tan to spring a surprise in Shenzhen

Showing their ability: Koo Kien Keat (left) and Tan Boon Heong have shown their mettle recently by making three finals and one semi-final plus qualifying for the World Super Series Finals.Showing their ability: Koo Kien Keat (left) and Tan Boon Heong have shown their mettle recently by making three finals and one semi-final plus qualifying for the World Super Series Finals.
National doubles coach Tan Kim Her believes that top pair Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong have justified the coaches’ faith with their recent run of decent results.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong came under severe criticism before and during the London Olympics in July due to their poor form.
They were tipped to be split up by the BA of Malaysia (BAM) upon returning from London as many felt that they did not have any future as a pair.
But the BAM and the doubles coaches decided against it at the last moment and Kien Keat-Boon Heong have since picked up their form.
Since the Olympics, the pair have made the final of three tournaments – Japan Open, Denmark Open and Hong Kong Open – as well as the semi-finals of the China Open.
Although they have faltered at the final stages, Kien Keat-Boon Heong are now ranked second in the world and Kim Her is delighted at the way they have been playing.
“After the Olympics, many thought that their slump will continue,” he said.
“But that’s not been the case as Kien Keat-Boon Heong have been working harder."
“They are now even closer as a pair and have cleared up any misunderstandings they’ve had."
“To make three finals is a good result and I believe that they’ve shown that they can still play as pair and have much to offer."
“Although they have yet to win, I think they can spring a surprise at the BWF World Super Series Finals in Shenzhen next month.”
Kien Keat-Boon Heong qualified for the season-ending event from Dec 12-16 on merit by virtue of being at the top of the pack in the Super Series standings.
Only the top eight pairs in the standings qualify for the finals, with each country allowed to send two pairs if both are in the top eight.
With top China pair Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng failing to make the cut, Kien Keat-Boon Heong’s task of landing a major title should be a lot easier as they will have one less rival to deal with.
However, Kim Her warned Kien Keat-Boon Heong not to take it easy as the likes of Denmark’s Mathias Boe-Carsten Morgensen and China’s Hong Wei-Shen Ye could prove to be spoilers.
“Boe-Morgensen and Hong Wei-Shen Ye will be the clear threat as the rest of the field are not quite there yet,” said Kim Her.
The other qualifiers for the Super Series Finals are Japan’s Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa and Hirokatsu Hashimoto-Noriyasu Hirata, South Koreans Kim Ki-jung-Kim Sa-rang, Thailand’s Bodin Isaara-Maneepong Jongjit and Malaysian No. 2 Hoon Thien How-Tan Wee Kiong.
Courtesy of The Star

Steely Wei Feng sets sights on breaking into top 10

He may appear tad shy, but there is a glint of steely determination in the eyes of the 25-year-old Chong Wei Feng.
The Kedah-born shuttler’s commitment and dedication has seen him reach the semi-finals of the China Open (November) and Taiwan Open (October).
And the world No. 21 is impressed with his overall performance this year, especially since he has met his two objectives.
“One of my main targets was to be in the top 30 in the world rankings ... I’m now at No. 21,” said Wei Feng.
“I reached my first semi-finals in China ... that’s a pleasant thing for me.”
However, he is still reeling from the semi-final loss to Chen Long in the China Open.
“Unfortunately, I got off to a slow start and he (Chen Long) possessed the physical strength to control the game,” said Wei Feng.
“You have to be fast all the time when you face someone like him if you want to control the game.”
But that’s over and done with. Wei Feng has now set himself two main targets for next year.
“I intend to break into the top 10 and qualify for the World Cham­pion­ships next year,” he said.
Courtesy of The Star

Macau Open: Young Zulfadli goes down fighting to Hu Yun

Former world junior champion Zulfadli Zulkifli came mightily close to claiming his first big scalp but his inexperience showed as he went down fighting to Hong Kong’s Hu Yun in the first round of the Macau Open GP Gold yesterday.
The 19-year-old Zulfadli has yet to make his mark on the senior stage – a year after becoming the first Malaysian to win the World Junior title.
He had his chances against world No. 15 and fourth seed Hu Yun but faltered when it mattered most, losing 21-12, 11-21, 16-21.
The Selangor lad, who is currently ranked 62nd in the world, is gradually running out of time to show that his massive potential has not gone to waste.
It was also a sorry day for the Malaysian singles camp as Chan Kwong Beng and Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub fell by the wayside.
Kwong Beng, who has had a dreadful year which culminated in him dropping to No. 99th in the world, will certainly ponder his future after a tame 18-21, 11-21 defeat to unknown Taiwan’s Chun Shih Kuei.
Loh Wei Sheng, however provided some cheer when he beat Singapore’s Robin Gonansa 21-16, 21-11 to progress into the second round, where he will face fifth seed Wong Wing Ki of Hong Kong.
Former national Wong Choong Hann also showed that he still has some gas left in the tank with a comfortable 21-12, 21-16 win over Australia’s Michael Fariman.
Earlier in the qualifying rounds, all three mixed pairs of Ong Jian Guo-Woon Khe Wei, Lim Khim Wah-Vivian Hoo and Mohd Lufti Zaim-Chow Mei Kuan failed to progress to the main draw.
Courtesy of The Star

Monday, November 26, 2012

Hong Kong Open: Day 6 - Zhao Yunlei Double Leads Chinese Sweep

China duly swept the Yonex Sunrise Hong Kong Open today, with Chen Long and Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng preventing Malaysia from crashing the party.
The Chinese were assured of three gold medals before the start of play as they were all-China affairs. The main questions were whether No. 2 Chen Long (at left, right photo being congratulated by Lee) could upstage No. 1 Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in the Men’s Singles final, and whether the Olympic champions Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng would be upset by Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong in Men’s Doubles. As it turned out, both these matches went China’s way in straight games. The other three finals went to the Olympic champions, with Zhao Yunlei claiming another double: Women’s Doubles with Tian Qing and Mixed Doubles with Zhang Nan. Li Xuerui (at right, photo below with Wang) took the Women’s Singles.
The Men’s Singles final was breath-taking in parts, though not quite living up to expectations. Lee was dominant early on, with his tremendous bursts of speed putting Chen under pressure, but as the match wore on, his rustiness became apparent. Unlike previous encounters between them, it was Chen who started to control the net. The world No. 2 recovered from 10-13 to draw level, and then pulled away, with Lee struggling to keep within reach. Unusually for Lee, his precision was off and he gifted points at crucial moments that helped Chen’s cause.
In the second game, Chen led throughout. Lee attempted to fight his way into the match, but Chen’s swiftness and defence was exceptional. At 8-6 came the rally of the match: Lee played three hairpin net shots, but Chen retrieved each of them until he forced the error from the Malaysian. The 21-19 21-17 triumph gave Chen his second straight Superseries title after the China Open.
“No excuses,” said Lee. “Chen Long was more stable today and was relaxed after the Olympics. I didn’t want to play here at first, as I wanted to rest after the wedding. I wasn’t able to play my normal match. I tried my best and didn’t have any target today, so I’m okay with the result.”
His opponent was complimentary in victory. “I have a lot to learn from players like Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei,” said Chen Long. “My biggest target is the World Championships. This (Hong Kong Open) was more to gain experience.”
The Women’s Singles final saw No. 2 Li Xuerui take the title over No. 1 Wang Yihan who retired at 21-12 11-3 as she was concerned about her right knee. Wang had been playing with it heavily-strapped throughout the tournament, and said she didn’t want to worsen it.
“I pushed myself a lot and did my best,” said Wang “but I didn’t want to injure myself, so I decided to retire.”
The first match of the day was a riveting contest between Olympic Women’s Doubles champions Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei (right) and the pair that was disqualified from the Olympics, Yu Yang/Wang Xiaoli. The match was the longest of the five finals as the duos traded shot for shot, and it was eventually the composure of the Olympic champions that made the difference. They took the title 22-20 14-21 21-17.
The Mixed Doubles final was expected to be another marathon, pitting Olympic gold medallists, Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei, against the Olympic silver medallists, Xu Chen/Ma Jin. Zhang/Zhao won in London but Xu/Ma were on a hot streak, having won four Superseries in a row. The difference between the two sides was Zhao Yunlei. Despite having played her Women’s Doubles final earlier, the Olympic champion dominated the net against her opposite number Ma Jin. So steady was she at the forecourt that even the usually unflappable Ma Jin succumbed and the Olympic champions won in straight games, 21-17 21-17.
“I’m used to playing two events, so it was not a problem,” Zhao said, of winning two titles. “Even though we didn’t train much after the Olympics, I wasn’t particularly tired today.”
The final match of the tournament was Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng against Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong (all at left). The Malaysians started off promisingly, with a 10-4 lead, but the Chinese worked their way back through consistent big hitting. The Malaysians were brilliant and erratic by turns, thus unable to sustain the momentum after a hard-won point. They enjoyed a good spell late in the second game when they were down 10-17 – they lifted the shuttle and invited Fu and Cai to breach their defence, and they did return those thunderbolts to frustrate the Chinese briefly.
However, the deficit was too large to overcome, and they will rue a few missed chances. Upon converting match point, an excited Cai threw his racket in the air and stripped his shirt off. The 21-16 21-17 victory secured, the world and Olympic champions had helped China to a comprehensive rout of the opposition.

Hong Kong Open: Chen Long takes title, Kien Keat-Boon Heong also fall

LEE Chong Wei found his match in the final of the Hong Kong Open as Chen Long of China outplayed the World No 1 to secure the super series crown in Kowloon yesterday.
Chong Wei, despite reaching the final easily, lost steam as Chen Long's far superior physical condition helped him register a 21-19, 21-17 win in 57 minutes.
It was Chong Wei's first defeat since the London Olympics and lack of preparation, disrupted by his wedding on Nov 10, gave Chen Long the edge.
Chong Wei's involvement in the Macau Open will now turn into a holiday for him and wife Wong Mew Choo as the former is not in ideal condition to play in back-to-back tournaments.
The World Super Series Finals in Shenzen on Dec 12-16 will be his next outing where Chong Wei should be in a better position to seek revenge over Chen Long for his defeat yesterday.
Men's doubles Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, currently ranked World No 2, stretched their barren run in the super series to 35 months when they lost to Olympic champions Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng of China 21-16, 21-17 in 43 minutes.
The Hong Kong Open was their third final since the failure to capture a medal in the Olympics but Kien Keat-Boon Heong, yet again, failed to make a mark.
Cai Yun-Haifeng have not been at their best since returning to competition last month but still managed to notch their 11th win in 16 meetings with Kien Keat-Boon Heong.
The only relief for Kien Keat-Boon Heong was that Cai Yun-Haifeng's victory was still not enough to help them qualify for the Super Series Finals, meaning the Malaysians will have have one top pair less to worry about in their bid to make at least the semi-finals.
Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng's victory completed a China clean sweep in the last super series tournament of the year.
Courtesy of New Straits Times

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Hong Kong Open: Day 2 - Indians Triumph; China Suffers in Men’s Singles

Indians, Kashyap Parupalli and Ajay Jayaram (home page), scored thrilling victories over higher-ranked opponents in opening-round Men’s Singles matches at the Yonex Sunrise Hong Kong Open today.
While No. 23 Parupalli edged past No. 10 Jan O Jorgensen in one of the closest matches of the year, 24-22 20-22 22-20, Jayaram held off recent China Open finalist, Wang Zhengming of China, 22-20 23-21. Jayaram saved two game points in the second game to squeeze past Wang.
The latter exited the tournament along with compatriots Chen Jin (3), Chen Yuekun, Du Pengyu; Chen Jin being surprised in straight games by Germany’s Marc Zwiebler (21-14 21-14). China’s three losses in Men’s Singles means all their hopes are now on Chen Long (2) in that category. Indonesia’s Taufik Hidayat also bowed out, though stretching young Japanese Takuma Ueda to three games.
“I know Taufik is near the end of his career, so this was my chance to beat him,” said 23-year-old Ueda who prevailed 19-21 23-21 21-16.
“I was nervous initially but, after Taufik won the first game, I calmed down and played better.”
Parupalli’s match against Jorgensen of Denmark was the day’s standout result. Jorgensen saved four game points in the opening game which Parupalli took 24-22. The Dane then held off a fightback from the Indian in the second, as Parupalli levelled an 18-20 deficit, but could not prevent Jorgensen from clinching it at 22-20. The pattern reversed in the decider, with Jorgensen fighting back from 15-19 to holding match point at 20-19, but Parupalli held firm to grab the next three points.
In Women’s Singles, the highest-profile loser was seventh seed Jiang Yanjiao of China, beaten by experienced Japanese Eriko Hirose in a close match, 19-21 22-20 21-18. Another three-game encounter saw veteran China-born Dutchwoman, Yao Jie (left), calling time on her career. The former European champion lost a gritty match to Thailand’s Busanan Ongbumrungpan, 21-8 20-22 21-19, and promptly announced her retirement.
It was not a happy campaign for Hong Kong players in their home Superseries. World No. 14 Hu Yun was the only winner out of seven singles competitors. Apart from Hu, the others – including Ng Ka Long, Wong Wing Ki and Chan Yan Kit in Men’s Singles, and Yip Pui Yin and Chan Tsz Ka in Women’s Singles – were first-round casualties. The scene was not any better in doubles. Five pairs in Women’s Doubles, including Poon Lok Yan and Tse Ying Suet (right), and one in Mixed Doubles were eliminated. Hu held off a late charge from world No. 6 Du Pengyu of China, 21-17 22-20 and will take on Abdul Latif of Malaysia next. Wong Wing Ki, who said he was looking forward to playing in the grand Hong Kong Coliseum for the second time, was beaten in three games by Indonesia’s Tommy Sugiarto.
“This is my sixth Hong Kong Open,” Wong said before the match. “Earlier, the hall was much smaller. I like it here because of the atmosphere, and my friends will be cheering for me.”
Meanwhile, both the top two seeds – Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia) and Chen Long (China) – progressed into the next round easily. In the Men’s Doubles, the prominent upset was that of fourth seeds Bodin Issara/Maneepong Jongjit, beaten 21-18 21-10 by Lee Sheng Mu/Tsai Chia Hsin of Chinese Taipei.
Double Olympic gold medallist, Zhao Yunlei of China, advanced to the second round in both Women’s and Mixed Doubles with her respective partners – Tian Qing and Zhang Nan (left, with Zhao).

Hong Kong Open: It’s back to business for Chong Wei

World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei did not suffer from any wedding hangover as he breezed past Thailand’s Boonsak Ponsana to check into the second round of the Hong Kong Open in Kowloon yesterday.
Chong Wei, playing in his first tournament since winning the Denmark Open last month and after his wedding to Wong Mew Choo earlier this month, downed Boonsak 21-15, 21-15.
He faces India’s Ajay Jayaram after the world No. 27 stunned China Open finalist Wang Zhengming 22-20, 23-21.
But it’s game over for Chong Wei Feng, whose slim hopes of qualifying for the Super Series Finals in Shenzhen next month vanished after an uninspiring first round loss to Japan’s Kenichi Tago.
The 25-year-old Wei Feng, who achieved a personal best by making the semi-finals of the China Open last week, failed to raise his game this time and lost 18-21, 9-21.
India’s P. Kashyap also scored a big upset when he defeated world No. 10 and seventh seed Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark 24-22, 20-22, 22-20.
In the men’s doubles, Malaysia’s second-ranked pair Hoon Thien How-Tan Wee Kiong stayed on track for a trip to Shenzhen despite struggling to beat unheralded Taiwanese pair Chen Hung Ling-Lu Chia Bin.
The world No. 18 Thien How-Wee Kiong, who need to reach at least the quarter-finals here to consolidate their eighth spot in the Super Series standings, struggled with their focus before prevailing 21-16, 17-21, 21-19.
Only the top eight pairs in the standings will qualify for the Finals and each country may send two pairs if both are in the top eight.
Thien How-Wee Kiong have an easier shot at making the last eight as they’ll be up against Yonathan Suryatama Dasuki-Hendra Gunawan after the Indonesians toppled seventh seeds Hirokatsu Hashimoto-Noriyasu Hirata in three games. Top seeds Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong also avoided an early pitfall with a comfortable win over Thailand’s Patiphat Chalardchaleam-Nipitphon Puangpuapech, but the professional duo of Gan Teik Chai-Ong Soon Hock bit the dust.
Ong Jian Guo-Woon Khe Wei continued their recent impressive form by coming back from a game down to edge Patiphat-Savitree Amitapai 18-21, 21-14, 21-17 in the mixed doubles.
Top Malaysian mixed pair Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying also cleared the first hurdle by avenging their first round loss in the French Open to Tao Jiaming-Tang Jinhua. This time the Malaysians won 22-20, 19-21, 21-15.
The third seeds will face Russia’s Sergey Lunev-Evgenia Dimova for a place in the quarter-finals.
Wee Kiong-Lim Yin Loo made it a triple delight for Malaysia in the mixed doubles when they beat South Korea’s Kim Ki-jung-Kim So-young 21-19, 21-18.
Courtesy of The Star

WORLD SUPER SERIES FINALS: Good chance of joining Chong Wei in Shenzhen

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Liew Daren hopes to end the year on a high.
LIEW Daren could join Lee Chong Wei in next month's World Super Series Finals if the World No 18 shines in the Hong Kong Open which starts today.
Only World No 1 Chong Wei, a two-time All England champion, and Japan's Kenichi Tago have qualified for the eight-player men's singles competition in the Finals on Dec 12-16 in Shenzhen, China.
Although Daren is sixth in the Super Series rankings, he cannot take his place for granted as those vying for the other six spots are also competing in Hong Kong.
China's Chen Long, bronze medallist at the London Olympics, and Thailand's Boonsak Ponsana are also among the 15 players hoping to qualify.
"It has so far been a breakthrough season for me and, hopefully, I can end the year on a high," said Daren when contacted in Hong Kong yesterday.
"I should be able to qualify for the Super Series Finals regardless of my result here but I do not want to take any chances.
"I hope to achieve my target and become only the second Malaysian singles shuttler besides Chong Wei to play in the Finals."
Daren also hopes to break into top 15 of the world rankings by doing well in Hong Kong but the 25-year-old's dream could be halted as he has been handed a tough draw.
The Kuala Lumpur-born opens against Indonesia's World No 24 Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka today and if he wins, will likely face second seed Chen Long, who won last week's China Open, in the second round.
Daren has not beaten either player on the tour since he turned professional five years ago.
After winning the French Open, Daren was expected to make an impact on the China Open but he exited in the second round, going down to Gao Huan of China, ranked 95th in the world.
"I did not play too badly in China. Gao Huan was well prepared and I could not do much to stop him from winning," he said.
On his target in Hong Kong, Daren said he will take it one match at a time.
"I need to think of strategies for my opening match against Dionysius. I lost to him in 2010 but I believe I have the upper hand this time following my triumph in France," Daren added.
Chong Wei starts his campaign against Boonsak today while compatriots Arif Latif and Chong Wei Feng take on Russia's Vladimir Ivanov and sixth seed Tago, respectively.
Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, who are top seeds in the Hong Kong Open, lead the Super Series men's doubles rankings and have already booked their spot in the Finals.
The World No 4 pair, semi-finalists at the Olympics, will open against Thailand's Patiphat Chalardchalean-Nipitphon Puangpuapech today.
Courtesy of New Straits Times

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

World No 1 back in training two days after wedding

 Lee Chong Wei

JUST two days after his big day, World No 1 Lee Chong Wei was already down to business.
Chong Wei resumed training on Monday after a break to prepare for his marriage last weekend to former national singles shuttler Wong Mew Choo.
National coach Tey Seu Bock said Chong Wei's performance in training was a little bit below par but it was not a cause for concern.
"There was a slight dip in his performance.
"It is expected after a long break but we are not worried," said Seu Bock.
"After four years focusing on the (London) Olympics, we are now giving him time to relax."
Seu Bok said the objective for the remainder of the year was to maintain Chong Wei's ranking as the World No 1.
"In the meantime, we are not targeting him to win any tournament.
"Of course we want him to win, but as long as he plays his best, it will be okay."
Chong Wei has another three championships lined up for him this year -- the Hong Kong Open (Nov 20-25), Macau Open (Nov 27-Dec 2) and the BWF Super Series Final in Shenzen (Dec 12-16).
Due to his busy schedule, the 30-year-old and his new bride had to postpone their honeymoon to some time next year.
Chong Wei is now gearing up for next week's Hong Kong Open in Kowloon where he is expected to face China's Du Pengyu in the semi-finals.
Du Pengyu, 24, gave Chong Wei a hard time in the Denmark Open final last month before the Malaysian rallied strongly in the final minutes to win the title.
In the Hong Kong Open, the top-seeded Chong Wei will open against Boonsak Ponsana before encountering opponents like Wang Zhengming of China, Hao Hsu Jen of Taiwan and Vietnam's Tien Minh Nguyen in the second round and quarter-finals.
Other big names entered for Kowloon include China's Chen Long and Chen Jin, Japan duo Kenichi Tago and Sho Sasaki, Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark and Indonesian Taufik Hidayat as well as national singles Liew Daren and Chong Wei Feng.
Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong will lead Malaysia's charge in the men's doubles while third-seeded Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying will compete in the mixed doubles.
Courtesy of New Straits Times

Goh bemoans lost opportunity to cross swords with nemesis from China

In with a chance: Mixed doubles duo Cheng Peng Soon (right) and Goh Liu Ying are hoping to get in right ub the China Open.
In with a chance: Mixed doubles duo Cheng Peng Soon (right) and Goh Liu Ying are hoping to get in right ub the China Open.
China’s second seeds Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei have withdrawn from the China Open, which begins in Shanghai today, but Malaysia’s top mixed doubles pair Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying are not jumping for joy.
Liu Ying said she would have preferred to have the Chinese for company in the same quarter (they would have crossed path in the last eight).
“We’ve lost to them in all four previous outings. We do not fear them but we were hoping to face them again. It would have been better for us if they had taken part,” lamented Liu Ying.
Without the Chinese stars, Peng Soon-Liu Ying’s main challengers in their quarter are likely to be Riky Widianto-Puspita Richi Dilii of Indonesia.
If they get past the duo, Peng Soon-Liu Ying will face the more dangerous Indonesian pair of Ahmad Tantowi-Lilyana Natsir in the semi-finals.
The Malaysians have lost all four previous meetings against Ahmad-Lilyana and a first breakthrough win against the World No. 3 will do wonders to their morale after their failures in the last two Super Series in Europe.
Peng Soon-Liu Ying went down tamely to China’s Xu Chen-Ma Jin in the semi-finals of the Denmark Open and suffered a first round defeat to China’s Tao Jiaming-Tang Jinhua in the French Open. Liu Ying, who is ranked fourth in the world with Peng Soon, said they want to justify their world ranking.
“Fourth is our highest ranking in the world so far and we hope to give a better account of ourselves. We won the Japan Open in the absence of several top players ... hopefully, we can achieve a satisfying result here,” she said
Xu Chen-Ma Jin are in the top half of the draw and their main challengers will be Denmark’s Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen.
Besides the mixed doubles, Malaysia will also be hoping for a breakthrough from world No. 4 Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong in the men’s doubles. After reaching the finals of the Japan Open and Denmark Open, hopes are high on them to go one step better.
The duo have a relatively easier draw as their main rivals will only be top seeds Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen of Denmark and China’s Zhang Nan-Chai Biao.
The lower half is packed with heavyweights, with second seeds and four-time world champions Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng of China set to battle with three Korean pairs – Denmark Open champions Shin Baek-cheol-Yoo Yeon-seong; French Open winners Lee Yong-dae-Ko Sung-hyun and Japan Open champions Kim Ki-jung-Kim Sa-rang – and two Malaysians pairs – Hoon Thien How-Tan Wee Kiong and Peng Soon-Lim Khim Wah.
It will be tough for Malaysia’s Liew Daren and Chong Wei Feng to go far in the men’s singles in the presence of top seed Chen Long and second seed Chen Jin of China.
French Open champion Daren is in the same quarter as former world champion Chen Jin while Wei Feng has a tricky first round match against Sho Sasaki of Japan.
Courtesy of The Star

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Agong berangkat ke majlis perkahwinan Chong Wei

KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah dan Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Hajah Haminah malam ini berkenan berangkat menghadiri majlis resepsi perkahwinan jaguh badminton negara Datuk Lee Chong Wei dengan pasangannnya Wong Mew Choo di Pusat Konvensyen Kuala Lumpur di sini.

Turut hadir Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak dan Timbalan Perdana
Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.Chong Wei dan isteri, bekas pemain negara, yang berpakaian ala Barat, masuk

ke dewan pada jam 8.30 malam dengan diiringi lagu romantik 'Colors of the
Wind' nyanyian Vanessa Williams.

Menteri-menteri Kabinet termasuk Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Seri Hishamuddin
Tun Hussien, Menteri Kesihatan Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Menteri Perdagangan
Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri dan Menteri
Belia dan Sukan Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek turut memeriahkan majlis.
Presiden Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) Datuk Seri Nadzmi Mohd Salleh
dan Ketua Pengarah Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong adalah
juga antara tetamu yang hadir pada majlis terbabit.

Pengantin kemudiannya menjalankan upacara memotong kek dengan mengenakan
busana yang berbeza iaitu Chong Wei berpakaian suit biru manakala Mew Choo
bergaun merah.

Turut ditayangkan video majlis pendaftaran perkahwinan pasangan itu yang
sebelum ini merahsiakan tarikh pendaftaran mereka.

Majlis bertemakan warna keemasan serta dihiasi bunga-bungaan putih itu
dihadiri lebih 1,000 tetamu dan berakhir pada jam 10.30 malam.

Chong Wei, pemain nombor satu dunia, dan Mew Choo mula menjalinkan hubungan
11 tahun lalu semasa mereka baru menyertai pasukan pelapis kebangsaan.

Ahmad Shabery yang ditemui sebelum majlis menyifatkan perkahwinan terbabit
sebagai sebuah perkahwinan yang 'sangat hebat' kerana melibatkan dua selebriti
sukan negara.

"Semoga perkahwinan ini memberi semangat kepada Chong Wei, mengubah keputusan Olimpik yang lepas, pada Olimpik 2016 kelak," katanya. - BERNAMA

Joo Bong jual mahal

HASRAT mendapatkan ketua jurulatih Jepun yang juga pakar beregu dari Korea Selatan, Park Joo Bong dikatakan hampir gagal dan perkara itu menjadi antara topik perbincangan dalam mesyuarat Ahli Majlis Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) di Hotel Novotel, Kuala Lumpur, hari ini.
Pengurus Besar BAM, Kenny Goh ketika dihubungi mengaku badan induk badminton negara itu amat memerlukan khidmat Joo Bong untuk menjawat jawatan Pengarah Kejurulatihan namun semuanya bergantung kepada jurulatih itu sendiri.

“Kami memang mahukan khidmatnya dan beliau menyatakan minat untuk membantu Malaysia tapi nadanya kini seperti sebaliknya,” kata Kenny sambil berkata Joo Bong menyatakan Persatuan Badminton Jepun masih mahukan khidmatnya.
“Bagi saya semuanya bergantung kepada Joo Bong kerana kontraknya tamat Mac ini.

“Beliau kata mahu berjumpa saya, mahu berbincang lanjut tapi saya tidak boleh bertindak sendirian dan perlu meminta pandangan Ahli Majlis untuk mengetahui apakah batasan rundingan yang boleh kita teruskan.

“Saya juga mahu tahu apakah masalah sebenar dihadapi Joo Bong dan apakah permintaan yang mungkin boleh dipertimbangkan untuk memastikan beliau bersama kita.” Apa yang terjadi ketika ini, membayangkan Joo Bong mungkin hanya menguji pasaran, cuba membuktikan dirinya sedia dipancing negara lain ketika Jepun belum membuat tawaran kontrak baru.
Selain itu, mesyuarat Ahli Majlis hari ini juga bakal membincangkan mengenai jumlah peruntukan kepada setiap persatuan negeri untuk 2013, selain menyusun program sepanjang tahun depan.

Sumber: myMetro

Kien Keat happy to stand by his friend Lee Chong Wei on wedding day

<B>One for the album:</B> Lee Chong Wei and Wong Mew Choo (centre) with best men and bridesmaids during their wedding reception dinner at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. — GLENN GUAN / The StarOne for the album: Lee Chong Wei and Wong Mew Choo (centre) with best men and bridesmaids during their wedding reception dinner at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. — GLENN GUAN / The Star
To be the best man at one of the most talked about weddings of the year, that of Lee Chong Wei and Wong Mew Choo, is certainly exciting and national doubles shuttler Koo Kien Keat is relishing every moment.
The 27-year-old Kien Keat is, however, hoping that this will be the last time that he plays the supporting role.
“I have been the best man at several weddings now. There’s a saying that one shouldn’t do this too many times. One by one my friends are getting married and the pressure is getting to me. I don’t want to be left behind,” he said bursting in laughter.
Asked whether he has someone special in his life, Kien Keat said: “I have met a few but no one seems to be the right one at the moment.”
The former All-England champion is one of the six best men at two-time Olympic silver medallist Chong Wei and Mew Choo’s grand wedding, which is being celebrated in Kuala Lumpur over two days.
Chong Wei hosted a number of dignitaries, including the King, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre yesterday to mark the occasion. The official wedding reception, which will be attended by family and close friends, will be held today.
Besides Kien Keat, the other shuttlers on best man duty are Tan Boon Heong and Gan Teik Chai. Of the six bridesmaids, two – Haw Chiou Hwee and Ng Sock Ai – are former internationals.
Kien Keat said it was an honour to be Chong Wei’s best man but agreed that it involved a lot of work and late nights.
“I have even lost my voice,” he quipped.
“But it’s the most important day of his life and I’m glad that I can be there for him.
“Unfortunately, as a national team, we didn’t prepare anything special for him. We had planned to put up a video of all his and Mew Choo’s photos since their juniors days but it didn’t work out. We managed to stage his bachelor party a few days ago though.
“One of the challenging parts was finalising the guest list. We tried to remind him if he left out anybody. People will understand if they are not invited because he just has too many friends.”
On how Chong Wei handled the whole process, Kien Keat said: “He had to deal with so many things but he was cool. He attended all the meetings, rehearsals and remained joyful through it all. It’s just like Chong Wei on court – taking every challenge in a cool and collected manner. Today, he looked dashing indeed with Mew Choo,” added Kien Keat, who will be flying off to China as soon as his wedding duties are over.
He and Boon Heong will be competing in the China Open, which starts on Wednesday in Shanghai, and they will be out to end their two-year wait for a Super Series title.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong, the third seeds, have been drawn in the top half with Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen of Denmark, Bodin Isara-Maneepong Jongjit of Thailand and Japan’s Hirokatsu Hashimoto-Noriyasu Hirata.
In the lower half of the draw are four-time world champions Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng of China, Kim Ki-jung-Kim Sa-rang of South Korea and two other Malaysian pairs – Hoon Thien How-Tan Wee Kiong and Chan Peng Soon-Lim Khim Wah.
Courtesy of The Star

Breakthrough for Iskandar as he qualifies for HK Open

Back-up shuttler Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin enjoyed a minor breakthrough in qualifying for his first Super Series tournament at the Hong Kong Open in Kowloon from Nov 20-25.
And national coach Hendrawan views it as yet another positive sign.
Iskandar made the cut for the Super Series by virtue of his marked progress in the world ranking – moving up 100 spots from 181st to 81st within a year. “This is Iskandar’s first Super Series, although he will start from the qualifying tournament. I plan to push him to qualify for more Super Series events next year,” said Hendrawan.
The 18-year-old Iskandar will take on R.M.V. Gurusaidatt of India in the first round of the qualifier.
Hendrawan’s other charges in the Hong Kong Open are Mohd Arif Abdul Latif and Misbun Ramdan Misbun, who will both feature in the qualifying round as well.
Arif will face Ashton Chen of Singapore while Ramdan will take on Chan Yan Kit of Hong Kong.
Apart from Iskandar, other players under Hendrawan have also shown improvement. Ramdan nailed his first senior title at the Pahang Open while Arif did well to reach the semi-finals of the Bitburger German Open last week. “It’s good to see good results from the back-up shuttlers. The four top players are Arif, Ramdan, Iskandar and Goh Soon Huat,” said Hendrawan.
“Arif is a regular in the Super Series and we will push the other three to follow suit next year.”
The other players in Hendrawan’s group, Loh Wei Sheng, Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub and Goh Giap Chin, will be given more opportunities to make a mark in the Grand Prix Gold events next year.
“All these small breakthroughs and upsets over higher ranked players will help boost the players’ confidence but, at the end of the day, all that matters is to win. Hopefully, more of them will become champions,” he said.
Hendrawan’s players have a chance to impress when they get compete in the Malaysia International Challenge in Kuching from Nov 13-18.
Their main challengers will be top seed Mohd Hafiz Hashim of KLRC and third seed Ashton.
Courtesy of The Star

Daren aims to ride lucky streak

IT'S too good to be true but Liew Daren is relishing his lucky streak of late and will be going for a few more breakthroughs, which were deemed to be impossible by his standards, over the next two weeks.
Daren has already achieved one of his long term goals which was to win a super series title when he secured the French Open crown and he is now in a fighting position to break into the top 12 of the world ranking and also become only the third Malaysian after Lee Chong Wei and Wong Choong Hann to qualify for the World Super Series Finals in Shenzhen on Dec 12-16.
Only the top eight players in the super series standings will make the cut for the the final rounds in Shenzhen.
But Daren, who currently lies sixth, is not assured of his place.
Daren will undergo a tough task in the China Open beginning on Tuesday where he needs to reach at least the semi-finals and also overcome a difficult draw in the Hong Kong Open on Dec 20-25 to earn a quarter-final berth to join Chong Wei in the World Super Series Finals.
Lengthy breaks taken by Olympic champion Lin Dan of China, Peter Gade Christensen of Denmark, Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia have left the race for the super series finals wide open.
"If you had asked me a couple of months ago, I wouldn't be talking about a top 15 position in the world ranking or the super series finals.
"The French Open has changed all that. Because of that success, I am in with a chance to end the year on a high," said Daren.
"In China, I need to beat Ajay Jayram (India), Jan Jorgensen (Denmark) and Chen Jin (China) to reach the semis.
"The Hong Kong Open is even more difficult as I will need to beat Dionisius Hayom Rumbaka (Indonesia) and Chen Long (China) to make the last eight.
"Dionisius is a tough opponent while I don't think I have come to the level of beating Chen Long yet.
"However, I will be able to give Chen Long a tough battle and can pull him to three games the least.
"If I get past the quarter-final stage in both tournaments, I can make the super series finals and also probably achieve a career high world ranking where I may go as high as No 12.
"Even if I don't manage to achieve those objectives, I would give my best shot and set the tone for a more successful outing on the international stage next year."
Daren will be battling against four others -- Indonesia's Simon Santoso (7th), Japan's Sho Sasaki (8th), Jorgensen (9th) and Chen Long (10th) -- for the remaining three slots for the World Super Series Finals, and the shuttlers will be in action in the China and Hong Kong Opens.
Chong Wei, Hong Kong's Hu Yun, Japan's Kenichi Tago, China's Du Pengyu and Thailand's Boonsak Ponsana look solid to claim the first five qualifying positions in the tournament.
The World Super Series Finals offer a total prize money of US$500,000 (RM1.52 million) where the men's singles champion takes home US$40,000 (RM122,000) while the qualifiers are assured of a minimum of US$3,000 (RM9,000).
Courtesy of New Straits Times

Coach Kim Her reckons world No. 4 Koo-Tan due a title soon

Improving: Koo Kien Keat (right) and Tan Boon Heong are slowly but surely regaining their confidence and form.Improving: Koo Kien Keat (right) and Tan Boon Heong are slowly but surely regaining their confidence and form.
National men’s doubles coach Tan Kim Her is pleased with the progress shown by top pair Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and believes that they can notch another good result at the China Open in Shanghai from Nov 13-18.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong have come under much criticism in the past, especially for their poor showing at the London Olympics, But they are slowly but surely regaining their confidence and form.
They made the final of the Denmark Open last month, going down fighting to South Korea’s Yoo Yeon-seong-Shin Baek-cheol.
In the French Open the following week, the pair gave another strong showing before losing in three games to another Korean combination – Ko Sung-hyun-Lee Yong-dae.
That was their third defeat on the trot to a Korean pair since losing to Kim Ki-jung-Kim Sa-rang in the final of the Japan Open in September.
But Kim Her is pleased, nonetheless and believes a win will come soon for the world No. 4.
“They have been doing very well since the Olympics and the results in Japan, Denmark and France certainly count as some of their best in the past two years,” said Kim Her. “They are definitely improving and slowly regaining their confidence.
“What’s important is that they are on good terms and understand each other’s role and their aim.
“They still need to work on their finishing because they tend to get tense.
“With the draws in China being quite good, I expect them to deliver better results. But I don’t want to put too much pressure on them, not when they are getting back to enjoying the game now.”
Kien Keat-Boon Heong are seeded third in Shanghai and will face Thai youngsters Patiphat Chalardchalearm-Nipitphon Puangpuapech in the first round.
They should go through to face home pair Liu Xiaolong-Qiu Zihan before setting up a potential quarter-fnial date with sixth seeds Hirokatsu Hashimoto-Noriyasu Hirata of Japan.
If they win, they should face top seeds Mathias Boe-Carsten Morgensen, whom they defeated in the Denmark Open semi-finals.
The other Malaysian pairs in the fray are Hoon Thien How-Tan Wee Kiong, Chan Peng Soon-Lim Khim Wah and the professional duo of Gan Teik Chai-Ong Soon Hock.
Courtesy of The Star

Why are backhand clears difficult?

You only play them when you’re already in trouble!

Good players will avoid backhand clears when possible, and play round-the-head forehands instead. This means backhand clears are only played when you’re under pressure.
Specifically, we only play backhand clears when the shuttle is out to the side, and usually also slightly behind us. This is a difficult, defensive position.
How good are your forehand clears from that position?

You don’t practise them as much

Since players avoid backhand clears, these shots get much less practice during games than forehands do. A good doubles player will hit at least 10 times as many rearcourt forehands as backhands.
You probably have much more experience hitting forehand clears than backhand clears. That experience makes forehands easier.

They are physically more difficult

The shoulder is much less mobile when making a backhand hitting action, compared to a forehand action.
Loosely speaking, the shoulder can go farther forwards than backwards. When you’re playing a forehand, your shoulder movement can continue after impact with the shuttle: the impact point is somewhere in the middle of the shoulder’s range of motion.
With a backhand, the impact point is near the end of the shoulder’s range of motion. This limits the amount of force that the shoulder can contribute to the shot.
A backhand clear action is also less natural than a forehand. It’s a movement you would almost never make except in racket sports.

You need realistic expectations

Sometimes it’s just not possible to play a good clear, because you are under far too much pressure. Players tend to blame the last shot of the rally, when often they should be thinking about how they got into that situation.
It is realistic to clear end-to-end on your backhand, even with decent height, and even cross-court. It’s not easy, but it’s something you can learn.
It is not realistic to play a good clear when you’re desperately late to the shuttle, reaching behind you at full stretch, and off-balance.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Badminton Grip Guide

Why are grips important?

If you don’t hold the racket correctly, you will never produce good badminton strokes. Grips are the basis for all racket skills.
Using a good grip is the first step to mastering badminton. Here are some benefits of using a good grip:
Benefits of a good grip
  • More powerful smashes
  • More accurate net shots and serves
  • Stronger smash defence, and ready for both sides
  • Deceptive strokes
Using incorrect badminton grips will cripple your skill development. Here are some common problems caused by incorrect grips:
Problems caused by incorrect grips
  • Clears are too short; smashes are weak
  • Limited choice for the direction of your strokes
  • Difficulty coping when opponents hit towards your body
  • Obvious strokes that your opponents can predict

More than one grip

Many players use the same grip for every badminton stroke. This will limit their ability.
To play skilfully, you must learn the right badminton grip for each situation. For example, you need a different grip for a backhand serve than for a forehand smash.

New hurdle for Koo-Tan

KOO Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong's vulnerabilities were glaringly exposed by new South Korean combinations in Europe but national doubles chief coach Tan Kim Her expects them to overcome a new test from Indonesian combination Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan in the China Open on Nov 13-18.

South Korea have reshuffled their pairs following the retirement of Chung Jae Sung after the London Olympics and Kien Keat-Boon Heong were on the receiving end against Yoo Yeon Seong-Shin Bael Cheol and Ko Sung Hyun-Lee Yong Dae over the last month.
Yeon Seong-Baek Cheol defeated Kien Keat-Boon Heong in the Denmark Open final while Sung Hyun-Yong Dae overcame the Malaysian pair in the last eight en route to winning the French Open crown on Sunday.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong also lost to the third ranked Korean combination of Kim Ki Jung-Kim Sa Rang in the Japan Open final in September and it will be a huge mental blow should Ahsan-Hendra shock them in a possible quarter-final clash in Shanghai.
The Malaysians should overcome Thailand's Patiphat Chalardchalaem-Nipitphon Puangpuapech in the first round and then face a tricky second round against China's Liu Xiaolong-Qiu Zihan.
Should they win, Ahsan-Hendra will be up next and the Indonesians have the quality to trouble the struggling Kien Keat-Boon Heong.
"Kien Keat-Boon Heong did reasonably well in Europe although they didn't win any titles and I don't think Ahsan-Hendra are good enough to beat them," said Kim Her.
"Ahsan-Hendra didn't perform well in the French Open, where our second pair Tan Wee Kiong-Hoon Thien How to beat them.
"The Indonesians are not as strong as the Korean pairs. Sung Hyun-Yong Dae have a lot of quality but the two matches Kien Keat-Boon Heong played against them were very close.
"Kien Keat-Boon Heong should continue improving their world ranking and if they can win a title soon, the pressure will be off and I feel they will then play better.
"They have been given the opportunity until the (2013) World Championships and they must keep competing against the top pairs and also the new combinations.
"Nobody expected the Korean pairs to win the last three tournaments and if Kien Keat-Boon Heong try harder, winning a title is not too far off."
Kien Keat-Boon Heong don't have to worry about any of the Korean combinations until the final as they are all clustered in the bottom half with Olympic champions Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng of China.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong's future is still not secure although the BA of Malaysia (BAM) threw them a lifeline until the World Championships but failure to land a super series title may force a rethink.
Soon to be appointed director of coaching Park Joo Bong may be pushed to do what his native South Korea have done -- introduce new pairs -- to strengthen their chances of winning an Olympic gold in 2016 if Kien Keat-Boon Heong keep firing blanks

NST

Kien Keat and Peng Soon looking forward to new line technology

KUALA LUMPUR: National doubles shuttlers Koo Kien Keat and Chan Peng Soon are looking forward to a new technology to challenge line calls after being victims of “biased” judging.
The World Badminton Federation (BWF) events committee, headed by Paisan Rangsikitpho, have proposed the introduction of new technology – similar to the Hawk-Eye in tennis – to curb poor line calls.
A decision will be made at the world body’s council meeting next month.
If approved, a player will be given a limited number of challenges and the umpire will decide after viewing instant replays on the screen.
Kien Keat and Peng Soon, who are training for the China Open in Shanghai from Nov 13-18, said it was high time that such a technology is used.
Kien Keat will partner Tan Boon Heong in the men’s doubles while Peng Soon will be on double duty – combining with Goh Liu Ying in the mixed doubles and with Lim Khim Wah in the men’s doubles.
Kien Keat, who still remembers the questionable line calls and poor umpiring at this year’s All-England, said the introduction of the new technology would enable the match to be fairly judged.
“This is the fastest racquet sport and, sometimes, the shuttle travels so fast that it could deceive the eyes. So naturally, the new technology will help us judge the line calls accurately. I am all for it,” said Kien Keat.
“Our sport has evolved and come a long way. I hope that with this new technology, human errors can be minimised.”
Peng Soon is happy that the BWF are finally looking into ways to arrest the problem of poor line calls.
“I was so upset during the German Open this year. The shuttle clearly landed out but was called in. I made a big fuss and was shown a yellow card. Things like this can disrupt a player’s concentration,” said Peng Soon.
In the German Open, Peng Soon-Liu Ying lost to Indonesians Mohd Rijal-Debby Susanto 21-19, 18-21, 18-21 in the opening round.

Daren breaks into world top 20 after French Open win


Great opportunity: Liew Daren ca n further improve on his ranking when he competes in the China Open (Nov 13-18) in Shanghai and Hong Kong Open (Nov 20-25) in Kowloon. Great opportunity: Liew Daren ca n further improve on his ranking when he competes in the China Open (Nov 13-18) in Shanghai and Hong Kong Open (Nov 20-25) in Kowloon.

KUALA LUMPUR: National singles shuttler Daren Liew has jumped six rungs to break into the top 20 of the world rankings.
The 25-year-old Daren is now ranked 18th in the world, thanks to his French Open win on Sunday.
This is quite an achievement for someone struggling to make a name for himself at the start of this year.
But Daren has been quite consistent since making the quarter-finals of the All-England in March.
And he can further improve on his ranking when he competes in the China Open (Nov 13-18) in Shanghai and Hong Kong Open (Nov 20-25) in Kowloon.
Lee Chong Wei continues his reign as world No. 1.
In the latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) world rankings released yesterday, the other Malaysians who managed to stay in the top 50 are Chong Wei Feng at 26th, Apacs-sponsored Tan Chun Seang (33rd), KLRC’s Mohd Hafiz Hashim (40th) and Mohd Arif Abdul Latif (44th).
There was also good news for men’s doubles pair Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and mixed doubles pair Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying when they moved up one spot to be ranked fourth in the world respectively.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong reached the final of the Japan Open and Denmark Open in the last two months.
As for Peng Soon-Liu Ying, the fourth spot is the best achievement in their five years together.
The women’s department, however, is another story all together. The best women’s singles player is Tee Jing Yi, who is ranked 51st while the top women’s pair of Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei are in 26th spot.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Daren's top-15 target

LIEW Daren, having reached the top 20 target ahead of time, wants to break into world's top 15 by doing well in the China Open (Nov 13-18) and Hong Kong Open (Nov 20-25).
Daren is looking forward to a semi-final berth in the China Open, a premier super series event, where he needs to beat second seed Chen Jin of China while a quarter-final berth in Hong Kong will enable him to achieve his objective.
The absence of China's Olympic champion Lin Dan and compatriot Lee Chong Wei should give Daren a slight edge and he aims to capitalise on the easy draw in Shanghai.
Daren did just that when he won his first international crown by claiming the French Open on Sunday where Chong Wei and China's top shuttlers skipped the super series event in Paris.
In China, the 25-year-old will meet Ajay Jayram of India in the first round and is likely to play Jan Jorgensen of Denmark next before coming up against Chen Jin in the quarter-finals.
The Hong Kong Open draw is yet to be released but the competition will be tougher with Chong Wei making a return after his three-week break from international events due to his wedding to former international Wong Mew Choo on Nov 9-10.
"I have never reached the semi-final of a premier super series event after having made the last eight in the All England and Denmark Open so I am aiming for the breakthrough in the China Open. But my main aim is to break into the top 15 by doing well in China and Hong Kong," said Daren.
"These are my last events for the year and I want to continue with my momentum. I am confident of making the last eight in China and will give my best shot against Chen Jin to progress. I lost to him in our only meeting in the Swiss Open in March but I am aiming for a better performance this time.
"Another quarter-final appearance in the Hong Kong Open should help me reach the top 15 and I don't think I can ask for anything more at the moment.
"I will focus on my preparations to make another solid start next year and continue my search for more international honours."
Daren's victory in France should help him improve his current world ranking of 24 to 17th when the weekly list is released by Badminton World Federation (BWF) today.
Meanwhile, Chong Wei Feng can also look forward to a good outing in the China Open if he can overcome Sho Sasaki of Japan in the first round. A win over the sixth seed will likely pit Wei Feng against Hsu Jen Hao of Taiwan and a quarter-final clash against third seed Simon Santoso of Indonesia.
Wei Feng, ranked World No 25, failed to make inroads in Europe but can close in a top 20 position if he can overcome the odds in China.
Courtesy of New Straits Times

Kim Her challenges doubles players to emulate Liew’s unexpected success

Something to prove: Malaysia’s Hoon Thien How (left) and Tan Wee Kiong are going for broke at the China Open in Shanghai on Nov 13-18.Something to prove: Malaysia’s Hoon Thien How (left) and Tan Wee Kiong are going for broke at the China Open in Shanghai on Nov 13-18.
Liew Daren’s unexpected men’s singles triumph in the French Open should serve as motivation for the second echelon of shuttlers in the men’s doubles department to go for broke at the China Open in Shanghai on Nov 13-18.
National doubles chief coach Tan Kim Her has challenged Hoon Thien How-Tan Wee Kiong and Chan Peng Soon-Lim Khim Wah to defy the odds in the penultimate leg of the Super Series Tour.
Kim Her admitted yesterday that the draw for the men’s doubles, which was released by the Bad­minton World Federation (BWF) on Tuesday, was challenging but hoped that his men will pull off the unexpected.
“No one expected Daren to win but he did and it should serve as a motivation for others in the men’s doubles department. They must have self-belief,” said Kim Her.
“We are also looking for a strong second pair to support Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and the China Open is a good platform for our second stringers to prove their worth.
“The men’s doubles event has grown to be quite interesting after the London Olympic Games as many countries have tweaked with their original pairings. The new partnerships are spicing up the competition and our boys should not be left behind.”
World No. 20 Thien How-Wee Kiong have been handed a perfect opportunity to redeem themselves in China after being drawn in the same quarter as Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa of Japan, Hong Wei-Shen Ye of China and reigning Denmark Open champions Shin Baek-cheol-Yoo Yeon-seong of South Korea.
Their early test will probably be against Hiroyuki-Kenichi, whom they have lost twice to before this year – at the Denmark Open and China Masters, although their second meeting in Denmark was a close affair.
Peng Soon-Khim Wah, who are playing in their first Super Series as a pair after a three-year lapse, have been lumped with second seeds Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng of China and South Koreans Kim Ki-jung-Kim Sa-rang.
So, it will be interesting to find out if they can hit it off straightaway.
The duo won the 2009 Thailand Open before being split up.
All eyes will also be on Kien Keat-Boon Heong, who are still searching for their first Super Series title since winning the Malaysian Open in January 2010.
They came close to nicking it at the Japan Open and Denmark Open in the last two months.
Despite the narrow defeats, the duo showed positive attitude on court and strong determination to get their act right after struggling for the last two years.
In the China Open, world No. 5 Kien Keat-Boon Heong are in the top half of the draw with top seeds Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen of Denmark, Bodin Isara-Maneepong Jongjit of Thailand and Indonesians Markis Kido-Alven Yulianto and Hendra Setiawan-Mohd Ahsan.
In the men’s singles, Daren will have to raise his game even higher as he has been drawn in the same half as second seed Chen Jin of China, Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark and Du Pengyu of China.
Malaysia’s Chong Wei Feng has an even more daunting task as the unseeded player is in the top half with top seed Chen Long of China, Simon Santoso of Indonesia and Sho Sasaki of Japan. The Malaysian faces Sasaki in the opening round.
Courtesy of The Star

World Junior: Top junior Joo Ven crashes out in Chiba

Malaysia’s hopes suffered a huge blow when top junior shuttler Soong Joo Ven was sent packing in the third round of the World Junior Championships in Chiba, Japan.
Joint third-fourth seed Joo Ven was expected to reach at least the semi-finals. Instead, he went down 15-21, 10-21 to unseeded Taiwanese Ting Hsu-jui in just 34 minutes.
Last year, KLRC’s Zulfadli Zulkifli became the first Malaysian to win the boys’ singles title when he defeated 2010 world junior champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the final.
Axelsen kept alive his hopes of winning a second world junior title when he blew away Malaysia’s Tan Kian Meng 21-12, 21-15 in just 30 minutes yesterday.
Two other Malaysians – Soo Teck Zhi and Chong Yee Han – just made it to the fourth round.
Today, Yee Han will have a tough time against joint fifth-eighth seed Ng Ka Long of Hong Kong while Teck Zhi should have a better chance of making the quarter-finals when he faces Dani Harsheel of India.
Joo Ven was downcast after his defeat and apologised for his early exit.
“I really played badly today. I am so sorry for letting down Malaysia and those who support me. I will take this as a lesson ...,” said Joo Ven.
Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) coaching and training committee chairman Ng Chin Chai blamed unnecessary pressure for Joo Ven’s loss.
“We expected him to reach the semi-finals. I’ve received feedback from the coach that Joo Ven put too much pressure on himself,” said Chin Chai.
“He is young but so much hope was placed on him. I think he found it hard to deal with the high expectations. It will be a good experience for him.”
In the girls’ singles, Lim Yin Fun was the only Malaysian to make the fourth round, but her challenge is likely to end today when she comes up against top seed and reigning Japan Open champion Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan.
Meanwhile, Tan Wee Gieen-Chow Mei Kuan showed their prowess in two events – making it to the third round of the mixed doubles and also their respective boys’ and girls’ doubles events.
Wee Gieen-Mei Kuan are the only Malaysian hope in the mixed doubles after they defeated Julien Maio-Stacey Guerin of France 21-18, 21-18 to set up a tricky fourth round clash against South Koreans Kim Jae-hwan-Lee So-hee.
The others through to the third round in the boys’ doubles are Wee Gieen-Tai An Khang, Darren Isaac Devadass-Ong Yew Sin and Dede Ryan Philip-Marcel Simon.
Mei Kuan received a first round bye with Lee Meng Yean and will be in action with Joyce Choong Wai Chi-Yap Cheng Wen to win tickets for the quarter-finals today.
Courtesy of The Star

Count Liew in for Rio

In the nick of time: Liew Daren proved his worth by beating Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the French Open final last Sunday. 
In the nick of time: Liew Daren proved his worth by beating Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the French Open final last Sunday.
Lady luck is finally smiling on late bloomer Liew Daren.
The 25-year-old men’s singles shuttler was once on the verge of being dropped from the national squad but yesterday won a place in the squad for the next Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro – thanks in part to winning the French Open title on Sunday.
Prior to that, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) were looking at players who had done well at the Asian and World Junior Championships to be roped into the 2016 Rio squad.
Those identified are all in their early 20s, like Misbun Ramdan Misbun, Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin, KLRC’s Zulfadli Zulkifli, Loh Wei Sheng (boys’ singles); Yang Li Lian, Sonia Cheah (girls’ singles); Ow Yao Han-Chooi Kah Ming, Teo Ee Yi-Nelson Heg Wei Keat (boys’ doubles ); and Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean (girls’ doubles).
The more established shuttlers – and likely to be at their prime in Rio – were Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying (mixed doubles) and Lim Khim Wah-Goh V Shem (men’s doubles).
BAM coaching and training chairman Ng Chin Chai said that Daren has regained their faith to be included in the squad with his consistent performances this year, which culminated with him beating former world junior champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark for his first senior career title.
“I am aware that he will be 29 at the next Olympics but he has proven to us that he has more to offer by finally winning his first international title in France,” Chin Chai said, after attending the first Road to Rio steering committee meeting in Bukit Jalil here yesterday.
“If he keeps at it, we believe he can grow into a strong contender at the next Olympic Games. He should be given that opportunity. The majority of the 2016 squad, however, will be our World Junior and Asian Junior champions and runners-up. We have not made an official announcement but we have earmarked a few shuttlers.
“They will be given the right exposure in the next four years to nurture them into strong and reliable players.”
Courtesy of The Star