ants
04-17-2004, 01:06 AM
KUALA LUMPUR: For once, national singles chief coach Misbun Sidek played by the script.
He named a no-surprise team of five singles players for the Thomas Cup Finals from May 7-16 in Jakarta. Yesterday, Mohd Hafiz Hashim and Lee Tsuen Seng were named in the team despite a slump in their badminton career.
The duo will join the top three players – Wong Choong Hann, Mohd Roslin Hashim and Lee Chong Wei.
In the men’s doubles, national doubles chief coach Yap Kim Hock selected the experienced Chan Chong Ming over youngster Gan Teik Chai.
Teik Chai’s hope of making his debut in the team event was dashed because he had been ruled out from training due to an ankle injury.
HAFIZ: The shuttler is suffering from a slump in form
Chong Ming will join his regular partner Chew Choon Eng in Jakarta. The others in the team are the national number one pair of Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah and Koo Kien Keat.
Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Datuk Nadzmi Mohd Salleh, who announced the final line-up, said: “One of the main criteria for these players’ selection was their fitness. We will take this Thomas Cup as a good 'warm-up' for the Athens Olympic Games.
“It will not be easy for Malaysia in the Thomas Cup. We may play either (top seeds) China or (defending champions) Indonesia in the quarter-finals. We will try our best to win but we will not be very upset if we do not make it.
“More importantly, our players will get a chance to gauge their strength against other players who will also feature in the Olympics. Based on the Thomas Cup results, we will know how ready our players are for the Olympics,” he added.
With Hafiz’s position in the team not at all in jeopardy, Misbun said he had selected Tsuen Seng ahead of youngster Kuan Beng Hong because of the former’s ability to rise in team competitions.
“Both Hafiz and Tsuen Seng played in the last year’s Thomas Cup Finals (in Guangzhou two years ago). They have the experience. Tsuen Seng is a good attacking player but the problem is that he could not sustain his game. But he can play one good match in a team event,” said Misbun.
Hafiz’s win over Bao Chunlai helped Malaysia upset China 3-2 to reach the Finals in Guangzhou two years ago. In the final, Tsuen Seng upset Taufik Hidayat but Malaysia eventually went down 2-3 to Indonesia.
Kim Hock said Chong Ming would be ready to shoulder the challenge during the Finals.
“With Teik Chai out due to injury, Chong Ming is our best bet. He may not have recovered completely from his shoulder injury but he has showed improvement in every game. We have one month before the Finals and I am confident Chong Ming can rise to the occasion,” said Kim Hock.
Meanwhile, women’s singles players Anita Raj Kaur and K. Sugita had their biggest breaks when they made it into the team for the Uber Cup Finals.
The duo will join Wong Mew Choo, Woon Sze Mei and Norsyahliza Baharum, who were the members of the team that helped Malaysia qualify for the Finals on merit for the first time. Another team member Julia Wong is out with a shoulder injury.
Said Misbun: “We have named a young women’s team for the Uber Cup Finals. This team is for the future.”
The women’s doubles players were Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty, Ooi Sock Ai-Mooi Hing Yau and Fong Chew Yen.
The last time Malaysia emerged as the Thomas Cup champions was in 1992. Since then, they have finished as the runners-up three times – in Hong Kong (1996 and 1998) and Guangzhou, China (2002).
The Squads
THOMAS CUP
Men's singles: Wong Choong Hann, Mohd Roslin Hashim, Lee Chong Wei, Mohd Hafiz Hashim, Lee Tsuen Seng.
Men's doubles: Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah, Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng, Koo Kien Keat.
UBER CUP
Women's singles: Wong Mew Choo, Woon Sze Mei, Norsyahliza Baharum, Anira Raj Kaur, K. Sugita.
Women's doubles: Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty, Ooi Sock Ai-Mooi Hing Yau, Fong Chew Yen.
TheStar
He named a no-surprise team of five singles players for the Thomas Cup Finals from May 7-16 in Jakarta. Yesterday, Mohd Hafiz Hashim and Lee Tsuen Seng were named in the team despite a slump in their badminton career.
The duo will join the top three players – Wong Choong Hann, Mohd Roslin Hashim and Lee Chong Wei.
In the men’s doubles, national doubles chief coach Yap Kim Hock selected the experienced Chan Chong Ming over youngster Gan Teik Chai.
Teik Chai’s hope of making his debut in the team event was dashed because he had been ruled out from training due to an ankle injury.
HAFIZ: The shuttler is suffering from a slump in form
Chong Ming will join his regular partner Chew Choon Eng in Jakarta. The others in the team are the national number one pair of Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah and Koo Kien Keat.
Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Datuk Nadzmi Mohd Salleh, who announced the final line-up, said: “One of the main criteria for these players’ selection was their fitness. We will take this Thomas Cup as a good 'warm-up' for the Athens Olympic Games.
“It will not be easy for Malaysia in the Thomas Cup. We may play either (top seeds) China or (defending champions) Indonesia in the quarter-finals. We will try our best to win but we will not be very upset if we do not make it.
“More importantly, our players will get a chance to gauge their strength against other players who will also feature in the Olympics. Based on the Thomas Cup results, we will know how ready our players are for the Olympics,” he added.
With Hafiz’s position in the team not at all in jeopardy, Misbun said he had selected Tsuen Seng ahead of youngster Kuan Beng Hong because of the former’s ability to rise in team competitions.
“Both Hafiz and Tsuen Seng played in the last year’s Thomas Cup Finals (in Guangzhou two years ago). They have the experience. Tsuen Seng is a good attacking player but the problem is that he could not sustain his game. But he can play one good match in a team event,” said Misbun.
Hafiz’s win over Bao Chunlai helped Malaysia upset China 3-2 to reach the Finals in Guangzhou two years ago. In the final, Tsuen Seng upset Taufik Hidayat but Malaysia eventually went down 2-3 to Indonesia.
Kim Hock said Chong Ming would be ready to shoulder the challenge during the Finals.
“With Teik Chai out due to injury, Chong Ming is our best bet. He may not have recovered completely from his shoulder injury but he has showed improvement in every game. We have one month before the Finals and I am confident Chong Ming can rise to the occasion,” said Kim Hock.
Meanwhile, women’s singles players Anita Raj Kaur and K. Sugita had their biggest breaks when they made it into the team for the Uber Cup Finals.
The duo will join Wong Mew Choo, Woon Sze Mei and Norsyahliza Baharum, who were the members of the team that helped Malaysia qualify for the Finals on merit for the first time. Another team member Julia Wong is out with a shoulder injury.
Said Misbun: “We have named a young women’s team for the Uber Cup Finals. This team is for the future.”
The women’s doubles players were Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty, Ooi Sock Ai-Mooi Hing Yau and Fong Chew Yen.
The last time Malaysia emerged as the Thomas Cup champions was in 1992. Since then, they have finished as the runners-up three times – in Hong Kong (1996 and 1998) and Guangzhou, China (2002).
The Squads
THOMAS CUP
Men's singles: Wong Choong Hann, Mohd Roslin Hashim, Lee Chong Wei, Mohd Hafiz Hashim, Lee Tsuen Seng.
Men's doubles: Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah, Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng, Koo Kien Keat.
UBER CUP
Women's singles: Wong Mew Choo, Woon Sze Mei, Norsyahliza Baharum, Anira Raj Kaur, K. Sugita.
Women's doubles: Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty, Ooi Sock Ai-Mooi Hing Yau, Fong Chew Yen.
TheStar