Thursday, November 10, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
World Junior Championships: Nelson-Teo bury chokers’ tag with perfect show
or Nelson Heg Wei Keat-Teo Ee Yi, the thought of being dubbed as chokers was unbearable.
And driven to make a point, the duo gave a spotless performance to upstage top seed and Asian junior champions Huang Po-jui-Lin Chia-yu of Taiwan 21-17, 21-17 in the boys’ doubles final of the World Junior Championships in Taiwan yesterday.
Besides the Asian junior meet in India this year, they had also crashed out in the final of last year’s world junior meet.
Driven duo: Malaysia’s Nelson Heg Wei Keat (right) and Teo Ee Yi posing with the World Junior Championships doubles trophy Sunday.Wei Keat was happy that they were able to bid farewell to their junior careers in style.
“We were determined not to make the mistakes of the past. At the Asian junior meet, we were over-confident and lacked focus. It saw us going down to the Taiwanese. Today, we were ready for them,” said an elated Wei Keat in a telephone interview yesterday.
“We proved that we can win in major tournaments and that means a lot to us.
“I missed my mother Yeoh Suh Nei’s birthday on Nov 4 and this title is my belated birthday gift for her.”
Ee Yi said that he was choked with emotion after breaking the jinx of losing in the finals and hoped that they could continue with their rise in the senior rank.
The duo will be under the charge of South Korean coach Yoo Yong-sung now that their junior days are over.
“This is really satisfying. We can now leave the junior ranks with a lot of confidence,” said Ee Yi.
“We will be promoted to the back-up squad now.
“It will not be easy in the senior ranks but we aim to become the country’s top pair like Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong in two years,” he added.
Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) doubles chief coach Yap Kim Hock was a proud man yesterday. It was his third world junior title with winning pairs after Ow Yao Han-Chooi Kah Ming (2009) and Yao Han-Yew Hong Kheng (2010).
“Our boys deserve a big pat on their backs. They worked hard and now, they reap their reward,” said Kim Hock.
“I just hope that this pair will be given time to prove their worth in the senior team. Hopefully, no swapping of partners will take place.
“They have proved themselves in the junior ranks. It is only fair to give them a chance to come good in the senior ranks.”
In the past, many of Malaysia’s world junior champion pairs sank into oblivion because of the heavy mix and match exercises.
Courtesy of The Star
And driven to make a point, the duo gave a spotless performance to upstage top seed and Asian junior champions Huang Po-jui-Lin Chia-yu of Taiwan 21-17, 21-17 in the boys’ doubles final of the World Junior Championships in Taiwan yesterday.
Besides the Asian junior meet in India this year, they had also crashed out in the final of last year’s world junior meet.
Driven duo: Malaysia’s Nelson Heg Wei Keat (right) and Teo Ee Yi posing with the World Junior Championships doubles trophy Sunday.“We were determined not to make the mistakes of the past. At the Asian junior meet, we were over-confident and lacked focus. It saw us going down to the Taiwanese. Today, we were ready for them,” said an elated Wei Keat in a telephone interview yesterday.
“We proved that we can win in major tournaments and that means a lot to us.
“I missed my mother Yeoh Suh Nei’s birthday on Nov 4 and this title is my belated birthday gift for her.”
Ee Yi said that he was choked with emotion after breaking the jinx of losing in the finals and hoped that they could continue with their rise in the senior rank.
“This is really satisfying. We can now leave the junior ranks with a lot of confidence,” said Ee Yi.
“We will be promoted to the back-up squad now.
“It will not be easy in the senior ranks but we aim to become the country’s top pair like Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong in two years,” he added.
Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) doubles chief coach Yap Kim Hock was a proud man yesterday. It was his third world junior title with winning pairs after Ow Yao Han-Chooi Kah Ming (2009) and Yao Han-Yew Hong Kheng (2010).
“Our boys deserve a big pat on their backs. They worked hard and now, they reap their reward,” said Kim Hock.
“I just hope that this pair will be given time to prove their worth in the senior team. Hopefully, no swapping of partners will take place.
“They have proved themselves in the junior ranks. It is only fair to give them a chance to come good in the senior ranks.”
In the past, many of Malaysia’s world junior champion pairs sank into oblivion because of the heavy mix and match exercises.
Courtesy of The Star
World junior champ aims to take over mantle of national No. 1
Zulfadli Zulkifli stood tall in Taipei as tears of joy rolled down his cheeks yesterday. He had, after all, just conquered the world.
The 18-year-old Zulfadli had made history again as the first Malaysian to win the boys’ singles crown at the world junior badminton championships. He had, in April, been the first Malaysian to win the Asian junior crown in Lucknow, India.
And he pulled off the feat in style yesterday, beating the heavy favourite and defending champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark 21-18, 9-21, 21-19 in an enthralling 51-minute contest.
Zulfadli Zulkifli became the first Malaysian to win the world junior singles title.Buoyed by the win, Zulfadli declared that he was on course to take over the mantle of national and world No. 1 from compatriot Lee Chong Wei when he calls it a day.
It was double joy for Malaysia when Nelson Heg Wei Keat-Teo Ee Yi successfully dumped local hopefuls and Asian junior champions Huang Po-jui-Lin Chia-yu 21-17, 21-17 to emerge as the country’s seventh boys’ doubles winners in the tournament’s 19-year history.
The focus was, however, all on Zulfadli as he had pulled off a feat that many - especially from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) banner - had failed to do before.
The player from professional club KLRC now has the world at his feet. The challenge Zulfadli faces is making that quantum leap to the senior level and take Malaysian badminton to even greater heights.
“The joy was indescribable. The sense of achievement in finally winning the world title was sheer ecstasy,” a jubilant Zulfadli said in a telephone interview from Taipei.
“I just cried after beating Viktor and went to hug my father, Zulkifli, who is also my coach. It was the perfect ending to my last tournament as a junior player. “2011 has been a lucky year for me. If you read it backwards it’s my birthday as I was born on the 11th day of February, which is 02,” he said, letting out a hearty laugh.
It was Zulfadli’s self-belief, perseverance and single-mindedness to succeed that led him to his historic achievement.
“I never doubted my chance against Viktor although he has improved by leaps and bounds,” he said.
The Malaysian got off superbly to an 8-1 lead and managed to hold off a late comeback from Axelsen to win the opener 21-18.
The young Dane, who had blown away former world and Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia in the Denmark Open two weeks ago, turned the tide to force a rubber and looked good to defend his crown after taking a 13-9 lead in the decider.
“I simply refused to cave in. I had worked too hard to give it up. And this was my third and last world junior tournament so I wasn’t prepared to lose. I pushed myself and managed to level at 17-17. I knew I had him then and pressed on to take the match,” said Zulfadli.
“The senior game will be challenging but I will be ready for it. I am confident that I can take over from Chong Wei one day.
”I am currently ranked 207th in the world. I want to make it to the top 100 by end of next year.
“I thank everybody who helped me realise my dream, especially my family members who are my number one supporters.
“I must also acknowledge the NSC (National Sports Council), NSI (National Sports Institute), KLBA (KL Badminton Association) and my sponsors KLRC and Forza.
“I am grateful to KLRC for giving me the early exposure in international tournaments as that really helped raise my game,” added Zulfadli, who returns home today to surely a hero’s welcome.
He deserves it.
Courtesy of The Star
The 18-year-old Zulfadli had made history again as the first Malaysian to win the boys’ singles crown at the world junior badminton championships. He had, in April, been the first Malaysian to win the Asian junior crown in Lucknow, India.
And he pulled off the feat in style yesterday, beating the heavy favourite and defending champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark 21-18, 9-21, 21-19 in an enthralling 51-minute contest.
Zulfadli Zulkifli became the first Malaysian to win the world junior singles title.It was double joy for Malaysia when Nelson Heg Wei Keat-Teo Ee Yi successfully dumped local hopefuls and Asian junior champions Huang Po-jui-Lin Chia-yu 21-17, 21-17 to emerge as the country’s seventh boys’ doubles winners in the tournament’s 19-year history.
The focus was, however, all on Zulfadli as he had pulled off a feat that many - especially from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) banner - had failed to do before.
The player from professional club KLRC now has the world at his feet. The challenge Zulfadli faces is making that quantum leap to the senior level and take Malaysian badminton to even greater heights.
“The joy was indescribable. The sense of achievement in finally winning the world title was sheer ecstasy,” a jubilant Zulfadli said in a telephone interview from Taipei.
It was Zulfadli’s self-belief, perseverance and single-mindedness to succeed that led him to his historic achievement.
“I never doubted my chance against Viktor although he has improved by leaps and bounds,” he said.
The Malaysian got off superbly to an 8-1 lead and managed to hold off a late comeback from Axelsen to win the opener 21-18.
The young Dane, who had blown away former world and Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia in the Denmark Open two weeks ago, turned the tide to force a rubber and looked good to defend his crown after taking a 13-9 lead in the decider.
“I simply refused to cave in. I had worked too hard to give it up. And this was my third and last world junior tournament so I wasn’t prepared to lose. I pushed myself and managed to level at 17-17. I knew I had him then and pressed on to take the match,” said Zulfadli.
“The senior game will be challenging but I will be ready for it. I am confident that I can take over from Chong Wei one day.
”I am currently ranked 207th in the world. I want to make it to the top 100 by end of next year.
“I thank everybody who helped me realise my dream, especially my family members who are my number one supporters.
“I must also acknowledge the NSC (National Sports Council), NSI (National Sports Institute), KLBA (KL Badminton Association) and my sponsors KLRC and Forza.
“I am grateful to KLRC for giving me the early exposure in international tournaments as that really helped raise my game,” added Zulfadli, who returns home today to surely a hero’s welcome.
He deserves it.
Courtesy of The Star
Thursday, November 3, 2011
More players to attempt OSIM BWF World Superseries hattricks
A month after Chen Long became the 11th player to win three consecutive OSIM BWF World Superseries tournaments, four players have the opportunity to achieve a hattrick of their own, two more will attempt to achieve a ‘three-peat’ for the third time, but for the first time in a season, while another hopes to make it a double treble.
They then successfully defended their China and Hong Kong Opens in 2009 and won the season-opening South Korea Open in 2010
As such, this month’s US$250,000 Yonex Sunrise Hong Kong Open will give them the opportunity to make it a hattrick within the same year after winning the Denmark and French Open this past fortnight.
If they do so, they will follow in the footsteps of China’s Zheng Bo, who is the only player to win three consecutive Superseries tournaments on three separate occasions.
Last year, Yu Yang won three consecutive Superseries titles albeit two different partners, winning the Malaysia and All England crowns with Du Jing, before partnering Tian Qing to top spot at the Swiss Open.
She has now finally settled on Wang Xiaoli (right), as her regular partner, and what an awesome pairing they have become, winning eighth titles in their first full season together, including the World Championship gold medal in August.
They are also the only players to have won all the OSIM BWF World Superseries Premier tournaments this year – the South Korea Open, All England, Indonesia Open and Denmark Open.
Wang Xin (below), is the only one of the seven players who are chasing immortality, who has yet to taste
In the men’s singles event, world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei, who holds the record for the most Superseries wins with 20, is feeling confident after ending a four-month title drought by winning in Paris.
He will have an early test in Hong Kong as his great rival Lin Dan, who has since dropped from No. 2 to No. 3 in the world rankings, is slated to meet him in the semi-finals.
Chen Long, who is new No. 2, is in the bottom half of the draw and has 2010 world champion Chen Jin and former world No. 1 Peter Gade in his half of the draw.
German aces don’t have it easy
Germany’s top shuttlers Marc Zwiebler and Juliane Schenk won their opening matches at the US$120,000 Bitburger Open on Wednesday, but it was the end of the road for Michael Fuchs-Birgit Michels.
Schenk, who missed out on winning her first OSIM BWF World Superseries title when she lost in the final of the Yonex Open Japan in September, is determined to add this title after missing out on the German Open earlier this year.
Again a hungry Meulendijks, Schenk had to pull out all the stops before recording a 21-18, 19-21, 21-9 victory. She will now play Karina Jorgensen for a place in the quarter-finals.
Jorgensen, who was born in India, but has lived almost her entire life in Denmark, booked her ticket to the second round when she defeated Switzerland’s Jeanine Cicognini 21-17, 21-13.
Jorgensen’s compatriot, Tine Baun, the person most likely to prevent Schenk from winning the title, had a little help getting to the second round when her opponent Rajae Rochdy retired hurt after losing the first game 21-6 and down 11-1 in the second.
Baun will now play Thailand’s Sapsiree Taerattanachai, who defeated Simone Prutsch 21-9, 21-17.
Zwiebler, who won the Canada Open four months ago, nearly didn’t get past the first round as China’s Chen Yuekun put up a tough fight before going down in three games.
The second seeded Zwiebler had to dig deep before scoring a narrow 21-13, 24-26, 21-19 victory in 63 minutes.
He was back on court later in the day, to take on compatriot Alexander Roovers for a place in the third round. Once against Zwiebler started brightly, taking the first game 21-12. He was then pushed all the way by Roovers before winning the second 21-18.
Former world junior champion Wang Zhengming put his recent injury scare behind him by reaching the second round without dropping a game in his opening two matches.
Fuchs-Michels, who were the Canada Open champions, failed to live up to their status as the second seeds when they were beaten by Chinese duo He Hanbin and Bao Yixin (picture), the reigning Bankaltim Indonesia Open Grand Prix Gold mixed doubles winners.
The young Chinese pair edged a tight match 21-15, 13-21, 21-19 and will now play the Scottish-English combination of Robert Blair-Gabrielle White on Thursday.
The British duo, who have fond memories of Germany after winning the German Open in March, booked their ticket to the second round after a titanic struggle with Germany’s Peter Kaesbauer-Johanna Goliszewski.
In a hotly contested match, Blair-White just edged it 21-19, 19-21, 22-20.
Boon Heong puts faith in unknown Korean coach
Tan Boon Heong is putting his faith in a coach he knows nothing about to help put an end to the rot he and doubles parter Koo Tien Keat find themselves in.
The BA of Malaysia have brought in Korean coach Yoo Yong-sung to inspire and resurrect the flagging fortunes of the national doubles pairs. Boon Keong appreciates that and is hopeful that Yong-sung will inculcate a measure of the renowned Korean mental fortitude in them.
“I never got the chance to watch Yong-sung play, but he has qualities that we lack and we can definitely learn from him, especially in bolstering our mental strength,” said Boon Heong.
Ready to roll: New men’s doubles coach Yoo Yong-sung (centre) reporting for his first day of duty at the Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara yesterday. — AHMAD IZZRAFIQ ALIAS / The Star.“Communicating with him may be a problem right now but I believe that where there’s a will, there’s a way."
“It was his first day yesterday and we had a discussion with him and the other coaches regarding our problem. I will discuss the matter further with Kien Keat to come up with a new game plan to improve our play,” added Boon Heong, whose once world-beating partnership with Kien Keat has floundered in recent months.
The 24-year-old Boon Heong readily concedes that their game needs fixing and that he was grateful to all parties for trying to help them sort things out.
The world No. 5 pair of Boon Heong-Kien Keat are currently going through one of the worst spells of their careers, their last title being the Malaysian Open last January.
They crashed out in early rounds at the Denmark and French Opens last month and face the prospect of being unseeded in next year’s London Olympics.
“The blame lies solely with us. We are experiencing some problems with our teamwork and our confidence is quite low,” said Boon Heong.
“In Denmark and France, we had zero combination and got frustrated as our game simply didn’t work."
“It made us play more cautiously and, being low on confidence, our opponents took full advantage of it.”
National doubles head coach Tan Kim Her has backed his top pair to bounce back and prove their critics wrong.
“They have the right attitude and have been training extra hard lately,” said Kim Her.
“But we can’t expect results straightaway.
“We need to give Pang (Cheh Chang) and Yong-sung more time to work with them. It is more important that they peak during the Olympics,” said Kim Her.
Courtesy of The Star
The BA of Malaysia have brought in Korean coach Yoo Yong-sung to inspire and resurrect the flagging fortunes of the national doubles pairs. Boon Keong appreciates that and is hopeful that Yong-sung will inculcate a measure of the renowned Korean mental fortitude in them.
“I never got the chance to watch Yong-sung play, but he has qualities that we lack and we can definitely learn from him, especially in bolstering our mental strength,” said Boon Heong.
Ready to roll: New men’s doubles coach Yoo Yong-sung (centre) reporting for his first day of duty at the Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara yesterday. — AHMAD IZZRAFIQ ALIAS / The Star.“It was his first day yesterday and we had a discussion with him and the other coaches regarding our problem. I will discuss the matter further with Kien Keat to come up with a new game plan to improve our play,” added Boon Heong, whose once world-beating partnership with Kien Keat has floundered in recent months.
The 24-year-old Boon Heong readily concedes that their game needs fixing and that he was grateful to all parties for trying to help them sort things out.
The world No. 5 pair of Boon Heong-Kien Keat are currently going through one of the worst spells of their careers, their last title being the Malaysian Open last January.
They crashed out in early rounds at the Denmark and French Opens last month and face the prospect of being unseeded in next year’s London Olympics.
“The blame lies solely with us. We are experiencing some problems with our teamwork and our confidence is quite low,” said Boon Heong.
“In Denmark and France, we had zero combination and got frustrated as our game simply didn’t work."
“It made us play more cautiously and, being low on confidence, our opponents took full advantage of it.”
National doubles head coach Tan Kim Her has backed his top pair to bounce back and prove their critics wrong.
“They have the right attitude and have been training extra hard lately,” said Kim Her.
“But we can’t expect results straightaway.
“We need to give Pang (Cheh Chang) and Yong-sung more time to work with them. It is more important that they peak during the Olympics,” said Kim Her.
Courtesy of The Star
French Open: World No. 1 Chong Wei rakes in another title
World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei will return home from Europe with a very big smile today.Top seed Chong Wei disposed of Kenichi Tago 21-16, 21-11 in the men’s singles final of the French Open in Paris yesterday – extending his unbeaten run against the Japanese – to nick an amazing seventh title of the year.
The Malaysian has won all his seven previous matches against Kenichi.
It was also Chong Wei’s 11th individual tournament and 11th final appearance this year – a record that will be quite impossible for others to emulate.
A day earlier, Chong Wei had shown more fire in his game to overcome a psychological barrier against China’s rising star Chen Long.
Having lost twice to Chen Long in the finals of the Japan and Denmark Opens, Chong Wei turned the tables on the 22-year-old with a well-deserved 23-21, 17-21, 21-15 win.
National coach Tey Seu Bock commended Chong Wei for making a quick rebound after the disappointment in Denmark just a week ago.
“His most significant win was over Chen Long (in the semi-finals). He is certainly a strong-willed player,” said Seu Bock in a telephone interview yesterday.
“He lost a lot of energy against Chen Long but yet, today, he was able to return to court and play his game against Tago.
“Yes, there were moments when he made some uncharacteristic mistakes but he quickly made up for it.”
Seu Bock said that Chong Wei was almost back at his best after a demoralising loss to Lin Dan in the final of the Word Championships in Wembley in August.
“I think his confidence is almost 80% back. He has been struggling to get his game going after the defeat at the world meet,” said Seu Bock.
“It is not easy to reach the final of every tournament. Expectations are high on him and he has to deliver all the time.
“That could be mentally tiring but he has defied all the odds and I have nothing but respect for him.”
Courtesy of The Star
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