Denmark Open: Chen Long stands in Chong Wei's route to the title

LEE Chong Wei looks good to reach the final of the Denmark Open in Odense on Oct 16-21 but men's doubles Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong face a first round exit.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong don't look like they can make it past South Korean new but dangerous combination of Koh Sung Hyun-Lee Yong Dae.
Chong Wei will open his campaign against former world junior champion Viktor Axeslen of Denmark and is expected to meet Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand in the second round.
Sho Sasaki of Japan is likely to be his quarter-final opponent and Chong Wei should meet third seed Chen Jin of China in the last four.
Second seed Chen Long of China faces a tougher draw where he has to play the likes of Hu Yun of Hong Kong, compatriot Wang Zhengming, Sony Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia and Chinah Du Pengyu.
If Chen Long wins all these matches, he should face Chong Wei in a repeat of last year's final.
Chen Long upstaged Chong Wei last year but the Malaysian looks lethal this time and will be the player to beat in Odense.
Liew Daren should get past Rajiv Ouseph of England in the first round before taking on Sasaki in the second round but Chong Wei Feng is braced for a tough opener against Simon Santoso of Indonesia.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong, struggling to raise their game, are hoping for better fortunes in Denmark but playing Sung Hyun-Yong Dae, who are South Korea's gold medal bets for the 2016 Olympics, will be an acid test.
National doubles chief coach Tan Kim Her said Kien Keat-Boon Heong must be prepared to play aggressively against Yong Dae-Sung Hyun.
"This match will be very tactical and Kien Keat-Boon Heong must be really prepared. Attack is the best way to overcome the pair as Sung Hyun is not very solid in defence.
"Although they are a strong combination, Kien Keat-Boon Heong must be positive and go all out."
Tan Wee Kiong-Hoon Thien How have an easier draw where they will meet Vladimir Ivanov-Ivan Sozonov of Russia in their opening round and are expected to play Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa of Japan in the second round.
They could meet Indonesia's new combination of Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan in the last eight.
Courtesy of New Straits Times

Wei Feng wants Gold

National singles shuttler Chong Wei Feng has been playing with an extra spring in his step lately.
His rise to No. 27 in the world rankings has made him the national No. 2 and boosted his confidence ahead of the Taiwan Open GP Gold, which starts in Taipei today.
The 25-year-old Wei Feng is one of the most improved shutlers this year and has been playing with an air of confidence since coming through the qualifiers to make the second round of the All-England in March, before losing to world No. 2 Lin Dan.

Dangerman: Chong Wei Feng is confident of a good show in Taiwan.

He has also achieved several creditable results of late, notably making the quarter-finals of the Japan Open last month and the Singapore Open in June.
Wei Feng’s performance in Japan is certainly laudable as he recovered from a terrible start to produce a stunning finish in beating home favourite Kenichi Tago in the first round.
The Kedahan is quietly confident of his chances in Taipei, where he will face seventh seed Alamsyah Yunus of Indonesia, who is now ranked lower than him at No. 29.
“I have played Alamsyah once and lost in three close games. He will still be the favourite because of his experience but I am out for revenge and I believe I can take him out,” said Wei Feng.
“It’s great to finally climb up the rankings ... it has given me more confidence.
“But what matters most is not about being ranked second in the country because my main focus is to continue playing well. I am seeking to do that in Taipei.”
If he beats Alamsyah, Wei Feng will face local lad Chun Shih Kuei in the second round, with Hong Kong’s Chan Yan Kit a potential third round opponent.
Besides Wei Feng, the other Malaysian shuttlers in the fray are Liew Daren, Mohd Arif Abdul Latif, Misbun Ramdan Misbun, Iskandar Zulkarnian Zainuddin, Goh Soon Huat and KLRC’s Zulfadli Zulkifli.
Of the lot, world No. 28 Daren has a clear shot at making the semi-finals at least following the withdrawals of several top players, including world No. 10 Tago and world No. 19 Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka. The only other recognised top player in his half is in-form world No. 15 Hu Yun of Hong Kong, seeded fifth here in Taiwan.
In the men’s doubles, the Malaysian pairs competing are Mohd Lufti Zaim-Teo Kok Siang, Chooi Kah Ming-Ow Yao Han, Nelson Heg-Teo Ee Yi. The professional duo of Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif are also taking part in the tournament.
Courtesy of The Star

Kien Keat stays Koo-l as harsh criticism mounts

National men’s doubles shuttler Koo Kien Keat is taking all the harsh criticism in his stride as he seeks to redeem his partnership with Tan Boon Heong.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) have given the duo another year to prove themselves after their failure to win a medal at the London Olympics in August despite calls to split them up.
In their first tournament at the Japan Open last week following BAM’s reprieve, Kien Keat-Boon Heong failed to salvage their pride when they lost to a lower-ranked Kim Sa-rang-Kim Ki-jung of South Korea in the final.
The 27-year-old Kien Keat said he accepted the fact that life was hard when one fell from grace but vowed not to give up.
“The Japan Open was our first tournament after the London Olympics. We were ill-prepared as our future as a pair was uncertain earlier. But despite that, we still reached the final,” said Kien Keat after a training session at Stadium Juara in Bukit Kiara yesterday.
Their first final appearance in a Super Series event in a year saw them moving up one rung to No.6 in the world rankings.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong, who won the hearts of Malaysians with their sterling displays en route to the 2006 Asian Games gold and the 2007 All-England title, had been struggling with inconsistent results over the last two years.
“I now understand the life of a badminton player."
“People sing our praises when we are on top and treat us like God’s son."
“But when we lose, no one treats us well,” lamented Kien Keat.
“I accept the criticism although some had been baseless. It’s pointless to get worked up over it."
“All I want to do now is give my best with Boon Heong."
“The experiences over the last few months have taught me one thing – to appreciate my partnership with Boon Heong.
“We have been given a second chance and we want to make the most of it.”
Kien Keat said their next big test will come at the Denmark Open in Odense from Oct 15-21.
“We will be more prepared for this tournament. All the top players will be there and it’s a good platform to see where we stand.”
Besides China’s four-time world champions Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng, who skipped the Japan Open, Kien Keat-Boon Heong will also have to be wary of Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (Denmark), Shen Ye-Hong Wei (China), Mohd Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan (Indonesia), Shin Baek-cheol-Yoo Yeon-seong and Sa-rang-Ki-jung (South Korea).
National doubles chief coach Tan Kim Her said he had decided against pairing Kien Keat and Boon Heong with younger partners.
“Let’s give them some peace of mind. It would be confusing for them to partner different players."
“Let them focus on their game and do their best to win titles again,” said Kim Her.
Earlier, there were plans to partner Boon Heong with Goh V Shem and Kien Keat with Lim Khim Wah in Grand Prix tournaments – to give them the role of ‘big brothers’ guiding the younger players.
Courtesy of The Star

Mew Choo quits as BJSS coach and sparks speculation of early wedding

Former women’s singles star Wong Mew Choo has quit as Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) coach after only 16 months – sparking speculation that her marriage to Lee Chong Wei may take place sooner than expected.
Yesterday, Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) secretary Ng Chin Chai confirmed Mew Choo has tended her resignation, citing personal reasons.
Mew Choo, the 2007 China Open champion, retired as a player last year due to a string of nagging injuries. She became a coach in BJSS in May.

In the mood for marriage?: Wong Mew Choo tended her resignation as BJSS coach citing personal reasons.

Mew Choo’s resignation, however, will not jeopardise the women’s singles players’ preparations for the World Junior Championships from Oct 25-Nov 3 in Tokyo as China’s Chi Shanrong will take over as coach.
Shanrong had been demoted as the elite women’s singles coach after failing to raise the standard of some players under his care for more than a year.
Said Chin Chai: “Mew Choo has resigned but she did not state her reasons.
“Some coaches have also left the BJSS before this and there are some vacancies. We may bring in some new faces at the end of the year.”
Currently, there is no chief coach for the BJSS programme but China’s Zhou Kejian is expected to be given the mandate.
Boys’ singles coach Kejian has made good progress with the players under his tutelage.
As for Mew Choo, her decision to leave may be seen as a sign of an early wedding as she is expected to tie the knot with her boyfriend Chong Wei.
So far, they have not confirmed a date for their wedding. If it happens this year, it will be the second biggest wedding between badminton stars after China’s Lin Dan and Xie Xingfang recently.
Courtesy of The Star

Keen Tussle to Host 2014-2017 Cycle of BWF World Superseries

Fourteen (14) Member Associations of Badminton World Federation (BWF) are vying to host events in the BWF World Superseries 2014-2017 tournament cycle; with China presenting two of a total 15 bids.

Three newcomers – Australia, Chinese Taipei and Thailand – are competing with the 11 BWF Member Associations currently hosting the annual 12-event circuit. China, which stages two tournaments in the ongoing 2011-2013 cycle, is seeking to continue that trend with bids to hold events in Changzhou and Guangzhou (proposed shift from Shanghai). However, with the badminton showpiece set to remain at 12 tournaments, competition is tight to be part of the enhanced BWF World Superseries set-up, comprising seven World Superseries events and five top-tier World Superseries Premier events which boast greater prize money.

Seven BWF members – Australia, China (Guangzhou bid), Denmark, England, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore – are competing for the prestige of showcasing a World Superseries Premier event. The other Member Associations in the reckoning – China (Changzhou bid), Chinese Taipei, France, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea and Thailand – have their sights set on the World Superseries level. South Korea currently hosts the US$1 million Victor Korea Open which is part of the present OSIM BWF World Superseries.

Canada, Switzerland and the USA initially expressed an interest in contending for a host place on the tour but each has since chosen not to proceed with bidding.

The new cycle will usher in a four-year series in which players stand to earn the sport’s biggest jackpots ever as badminton steps up its profile in the international arena.

The five top-tier World Superseries Premier tournaments promise to be more lucrative campaigns for winners, each with minimum prize money of US$500,000 (2014; 2015); US$550,000 (2016); and US$600,000 (2017). This is a significant boost from US$350,000 for 2011 and 2012 and US$400,000 for next season.

Meanwhile, World Superseries prize money will increase by US$25,000 annually, starting with a minimum US$250,000 in 2014 and rising as follows: US$275,000 (2015); US$300,000 (2016); US$325,000 (2017). Prize money for the seven events in the ongoing World Superseries is US$200,000 for all three years (2011-2013).

“The bidding for these 12 events has been extremely competitive and those countries and cities which are selected will have met some high criteria because we are looking to raise the bar in a number of ways,” noted BWF Chief Operating Officer/Secretary General, Thomas Lund.

“Badminton as a sporting and entertainment spectacle is improving each year and, as a result, is generating more interest and excitement worldwide. The fact that so many countries and cities now want to be part of BWF’s elite circuit is testament to this fact.

“We are currently evaluating the bids against the criteria and we will announce the host cities at our next Council meeting in November. It is going to be tough to exclude any of these Member Associations but, at the end of the process, we are confident we will have chosen the very best cities in which to showcase badminton.”

It's still Lin Dan Ahead...

	LEE Chong Wei	LIN Dan
	MAS	Country	CHN
	1	Ranking	2
9		Record	21
Based on match results displayed below.

Duo on a mission in Taiwan

CHONG Wei Feng and Liew Daren will aim to extract from the Taiwan Open grand prix gold some points to improve their world ranking and reach the World top 20 at year-end, a target set by singles chief coach Rashid Sidek.
Wei Feng made some progress in his last tournament, the Japan Open, by reaching the quarter-finals two weeks ago and has overtaken Daren by moving up from World No 33 to 27.
Daren had some good results early in the year but inconsistency bugged him again where he lost in the preliminary rounds of the China Masters and Japan Open and is currently ranked No 28.
Wei Feng has a tougher draw where he will meet Alamsyah Yunus of Indonesia in the first round and a possible second round showdown against compatriot Hafiz Hashim and a quarter-final clash against Sony Dwi Kuncoro who won the Indonesia Open grand prix gold title in Palembang yesterday.
Wei Feng, who must try to clear those hurdles if he wants to make fast progress in the world ranking, targets a semi-final spot where he will most likely play Nguyen Tien Minh of Vietnam in the last four.
Daren has a bye in the first round and is expected to play compatriot Zulfadli Zulkifli in the second round and should clear the third round without much problems as he is likely to meet Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan.
Dionisius Hayom Rumbaka of Indonesia is likely to be his quarter-final opponent and if Daren wins, he will take on either Kenichi Tago of Japan or Ho Yun of Hong Kong in the semis.
Rashid said Wei Feng and Daren must make use of the training sessions with Lee Chong Wei and deliver quality results and break into the World top 20 this year.
"Until the Olympics, they helped Chong Wei in his preparations but now he wants to help Wei Feng and Daren improve by sparring more often with them. This is a golden opportunity and they must break into the top 20," said Rashid.
"They will be more confident if they are in the top 20 and it will also give them a better monthly allowance and ranking bonuses.
"The most important thing is that they will be more confident and will also get a better draw in the super series events if they are in the top 20."
Wei Feng and Daren will also play in the Denmark (Oct 16-21) and French (Oct 23-28) Opens.
They will also compete in the local circuit, the Pahang Open (Oct 10-13) but their focus will be on producing quality results in three international events this month.
Courtesy of New Straits Times