This article appeared on Badminton Asia Confedaration website dated 31/March.



Malaysia is well placed to perform at the forthcoming Yonex-Sunrise Badminton Asia Championships in the southern Malaysian city of Johore Bahru from 10th to 15th April.

The tournament attracts the best players from the continent this year with some of the major stars primarily from China, Korea, Indonesia and homebred champions will be in the limelight of this event together with mercurial Indonesian hotshot Taufik Hidayat. After giving the All England the skip, Taufik who is presently 18th in BWF ranking, has found it necessary to pick up some useful ranking points in this tournament which will be the final avenue for such rewards.

The World Championships offer seeding to only the top eight BWF ranked players in the five disciplines. Taufik may not want to miss out on this facility after the experience of meeting Lin Dan in the opening Super Series in Kuala Lumpur early in January which saw him eliminated in the first round.

All of which leaves host Malaysia in an enviable position to make a realistic attempt to do well in the championships. There will be ranking points to take home and just as importantly, the opportunity to imprint its name in the record books in this top Asian tournament.

In the sixteen years since 1990, only three Malaysians have won the blue-riband men’s singles title – Rashid Sidek in ’91 & ’92, Foo Kok Keong in ’94 and Lee Chong Wei last year. Success in the doubles had also been limited to just three pairs - Razif & Jalani Sidek in ’92, Cheah Soon Kit & Yap Kim Hock in ’95 and Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah last year. No lady, either in singles, doubles or mixed doubles managed a top podium finish in all those years. So understandably, in the absence of some leading players, there is a quiet optimism in the Malaysian camp that this year this record may be improved upon.

The full Malaysian contingent will be on show at the Asian Championship. The national association has not spared anyone. Leading the pack will be Lee Chong Wei in singles and the inimitable young pair of the moment – Koo Kien Keat & Tan Boon Heong in doubles.

Chong Wei’s currently rank no.4 will have home support and familiar surroundings, the Malaysian youngster has the best platform to redeem and atone. But China will still have Chen Hong and Chen Yu to worry Chong Wei and of course, Taufik will always be a threatening shadow to any title aspiration.

This may not be so with the doubles. With all the leading pairs of the world taking a rest, Kien Keat & Boon Heong should have a field day. Presently they are perched at 10th in world ranking. A good result at this BAC championship should propel them to automatic seeding at the World Championship. The recent series of top podium finishes at the Malaysian Open, All England Championship and the Swiss Super Series, have made the young Malaysians the favourite to add the Asian title to the three they have already won in their short career of under six months.

The girls are not expected to make a huge impact but few would be surprised if Wong Mew Choo creates history as the first Malaysian winner of the ladies singles in 16 years. In recent times she had done extremely well against some recognised players from China, Germany, France, Hong Kong and the Netherlands and the home environment may provide her the right impetus to set the records straight. Ranked 12th, Mew Choo though may need to be wary of Wang Chen of Hong Kong world rank no.6th and Mori Kaori and Hirose Eriko of Japan, ranked 11th and 12th. But the biggest threat will still come from the second echelon of players from China who will be at the Asian Championships - Lu Lan ranked 7th .

I think Malaysia will capture the MD title. The MS will be difficult with Chen Jin participating, I am not too worry about Chen Hong as he may be a bit rusty after 1-2 month rest. The key of Chong Wei success is still rely on those unforce errors, Chong Wei is still a very solid player with tremendous pace, I am not sure why he's abondoning Tat Ming and go for Misbun, sign of a non-champion attittude. I recall Chong Wei also was lack of faith when Li Mao took over the program ...
As for Mew Choo, if she's 100% fit then all her opponents should worry.
Malaysia Boleh!

i agree fully. mew choo at 100% could beat anybody. hopefully she will.

I think Malaysia will capture the MD title. The MS will be difficult with Chen Jin participating, I am not too worry about Chen Hong as he may be a bit rusty after 1-2 month rest. The key of Chong Wei success is still rely on those unforce errors, Chong Wei is still a very solid player with tremendous pace, I am not sure why he's abondoning Tat Ming and go for Misbun, sign of a non-champion attittude. I recall Chong Wei also was lack of faith when Li Mao took over the program ...
As for Mew Choo, if she's 100% fit then all her opponents should worry.
Malaysia Boleh!

It is all in the mind. LCW needs to feel good about his coach. Currently, he does not feel good about Tat Meng -- as simple as that. It is good that he spoke out else if he continues in his present state, not only will Tat Meng suffer if LCW continues to perform badly.

Misbun has held court for so long and commands respect, even BAM has allowed him to do his stuff with just Hafiz for so long. So for those people not knowing this would think less of Misbun. Misbun has shown patience and works well with his players - else how else would Hafiz have won the ALL-England previously.

Now to blame Misbun for Hafiz's lost of form is a bit like comparing with someone who does not study and the teacher gets the blame (the teacher does not control Hafiz's life). I think if he wasn't a good coach LCW would not have asked to go back to him --- why would he, we are talking about his career and livelihood here (can he take such a risk if he did not sincerely believe Misbun can help him).

So please for all those who knocked his decision to go back to Misbun, give him a break. He needs to find the solution to his woes, let him work it out.

:D

Ya...Only LCW knew what is the best solution to solve his problem.Since he decided to train under Misbun,we should respect his decision.Anyway, i really hope to see he regain his top form soon.

Ya...Only LCW knew what is the best solution to solve his problem.Since he decided to train under Misbun,we should respect his decision.Anyway, i really hope to see he regain his top form soon.

Somehow I get a good feel about this change, and also the ABC does not have LD or BAO, so LCW might feel more confident. If LCW plays well, I think he could come back strongly in the next few tournaments. LD or BAO may take some time to get fit -- so LCW can rule if he wins the ABC.

So please for all those who knocked his decision to go back to Misbun, give him a break. He needs to find the solution to his woes, let him work it out.

:D

Well said, I believe you have hit the nail on its head. Whether LCW will improve under Misbun only time will tell, but it is his decision. There are a number of armchair critics who think they know the player better than the player himself, that make me laugh.

it should be the head coach YKH that decides on this kind of matter instead of letting the players to choose which coach they would like to train under. and coz WTM to look like a fool......it would be a different story if it is YKH's decision instead of LCW's......

Imagine that you are a coach, and your player asks to be transfered to another coach......saying that you are not competent enough. how will u feel then?

i dun think it really matters for Chong Wei to win this one.. as long as he is slowly picking up where he dropped off....

it should be the head coach YKH that decides on this kind of matter instead of letting the players to choose which coach they would like to train under. and coz WTM to look like a fool......it would be a different story if it is YKH's decision instead of LCW's......

Imagine that you are a coach, and your player asks to be transfered to another coach......saying that you are not competent enough. how will u feel then?


Wrong ! You are assuming that LCW never consulted YKH -- the press stated that YKH was consulted (and can you imagine LCW just moved without YKH's approval ?) and WTM said he is ok with the move if LCW felt he could do better.

C'mon BAM would never allow such things to happen if it had not evaluated the implication. The fact is if a player does not feel like he can improve, BAM would hear the guy out and then make a decision with the help of people like YKH. And do you think Misbun would have accepted if he did not get the blessing of BAM or YKH.

Talking like you know everything without real knowledge is bad my friend ! BAD !

Wrong ! You are assuming that LCW never consulted YKH -- the press stated that YKH was consulted (and can you imagine LCW just moved without YKH's approval ?) and WTM said he is ok with the move if LCW felt he could do better.

C'mon BAM would never allow such things to happen if it had not evaluated the implication. The fact is if a player does not feel like he can improve, BAM would hear the guy out and then make a decision with the help of people like YKH. And do you think Misbun would have accepted if he did not get the blessing of BAM or YKH.

Talking like you know everything without real knowledge is bad my friend ! BAD !

ok ok......my bad for i didnt check out the facts 1st......was the exclaimation really neccessary??? dun get emotional.......

Misbun is the only choice left for LCW now..........BAM should be thinking of acquiring new coach for MS.

ok ok......my bad for i didnt check out the facts 1st......was the exclaimation really neccessary??? dun get emotional.......

Misbun is the only choice left for LCW now..........BAM should be thinking of acquiring new coach for MS.

Exclamation only for emphasising --- not angry or anthing.

i will salute Misbun if LCW is to beat TH..........LCW hasnt beat him for quite sometime already.....whats their score?

i will salute Misbun if LCW is to beat TH..........LCW hasnt beat him for quite sometime already.....whats their score?

Well, you might have to salute him. TH is a great player and I will be the last person to question that. But I think he will get more inconsistent because of his lack of attendances in tournaments (he missed the last two). If you are a betting man (or a bookie), you would know that his odds would not be as good as LCW in the ABC.

Malaysian squad in 2007 ABC:

Men's singles: Lee Chong Wei, Hafiz Hashim, Roslin Hashim, Wong Choong Hann, Lee Tsuen Seng, Sairul Amar Ayob, Yeoh Kay Bin, Ismail Saman, Tan Chun Seang.

Men's Doubles: Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong; Choong Tan Fook/Lee Wan Wah; Ong Soon Hock/Tan Bin Shen; Chan Chong Ming/Hoon Thien How; Gan Teik Chai/Lin Woon Fui; Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari/Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif; Chew Choon Eng/Hong Chieng Hun

Women's singles: Wong Mew Choo, M. Sutheaswari, Julia Wong, Anita Raj Kaur, Lydia Cheah, Vivian Hoo

Women's doubles: Wong Pei Tty/Chin Eei Hui; Ooi Sock Ai/Fong Chew Yen; Haw chiou Hwee/Lim Yin Loo; Lim Pek Siah/Joanne Quay; Chor Hooi Yee/Wong Sai See

Mixed doubles: Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari/Wong Pei Tty; Hoon Thien How/Ooi Sock Ai; Tan Wee Kiong/Woon Khe Wei; Gan Teik Chai/Haw Chiou Hwee; Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif/Goh Liu Ying; Lim Khim Wah/Ng Hui Lin.

Let's see our malaysia new pairing of GTC/LWF and MF/ZL performance in ABC.

Yeah, hopefully our new pairing will do well in the tourney.

it will be interesting to see the new pairs. would they finally get the rhythm they very obviously need. would be awesome if malaysia could dominate men's doubles. the ws and wd has already been dominated by china. the ms still open. there's still TH and PG and KJ to challenge lin dan and the other china players. but come to think of it, i would prefer for no domination in any match. would make badminton a whole lot more interesting. :D :p

i think the new pairing will perform even better than with their previous partners... cuz its like a new breathe of air in the career which is actually good plus Rexy is a good coach... :D

Well, you might have to salute him. TH is a great player and I will be the last person to question that. But I think he will get more inconsistent because of his lack of attendances in tournaments (he missed the last two). If you are a betting man (or a bookie), you would know that his odds would not be as good as LCW in the ABC.
i think its 3 including KO, AE and SO...

hehe just to clarify... :D

woohoo.. so unbelievable that the new MD pairs will be competing in this tournament!! cant wait to see their performance..hopefully they will hand in some satisfying results..and MD no longer hv kkk/wpt d leh..hmm good also.. tats mean kkk can concentrate in his MD games n can save energy to spore n indo open

woohoo.. so unbelievable that the new MD pairs will be competing in this tournament!! cant wait to see their performance..hopefully they will hand in some satisfying results..and MD no longer hv kkk/wpt d leh..hmm good also.. tats mean kkk can concentrate in his MD games n can save energy to spore n indo open
u mean XD rite?? haha :D

Malaysia willl send big forces to ABC.No offend to anyone but what if MAS fail to grab anything..sure kena kutuk kaw kaw.Then it gonna be scary nightmare to me.:D :p .Hope this not happening.

kutuk kau kau......not the 1st time already ma.......MAS is so used to it. hope that the new pairs can beat KKK/TBH.....who wil Rexy guide when both MAS MD are playing against each other.

Anyone knows if rtm or astro will telecast any of the matches live ?

for KKK/TBH vs TBS/OSH, TBS/OSH might win for strategy purpose. they need to qualify for world championship by reaching at least semifinals. in actual form, they might not be able to beat KKK/TBH. but if there are any arrangements, TBS/OSH might win this match.

i hope not! please dont go down the road of strategy matches. it cheapens the game. go down fighting. prove your mettle. not by backstage deals. i really hope we will not go there.

well, for the sack of getting the bigger fish, they might go as far as that!
haha :D

actually, i prefer TBS/OSH to win because KKK/TBH and LWW/CTF had already qualified for World CHampionship. This is Rexy's wish too.

yes.. tats wad i was trying to say!! trying to fish our the big fish (WC)... :D

Well, you might have to salute him. TH is a great player and I will be the last person to question that. But I think he will get more inconsistent because of his lack of attendances in tournaments (he missed the last two). If you are a betting man (or a bookie), you would know that his odds would not be as good as LCW in the ABC.

why dont BWF turn badminton into a betting game like football......maybe it can help to bring more sponsors to drive badminton into a bigger sport like soccer? since Asians or Chinese loves to gamble.....

I believe odds arent based on how many games the player have previously skipped, but rather the total score of the matches they played before which favours TH, a lot.

How many tournaments had CW/TG skipped? Just look at their recent performance before judging TH.

I hope that BAM will start looking out for potential MS coach for MAS. I have no doubts that LCW will turn into a stroke player like HH n his bro if he is to be under Misbun for a long period of time.

u mean XD rite?? haha :D

for MD, it looks like a national grand prix to me rather than Asian Badminton Championship. sigh......

for KKK/TBH vs TBS/OSH, TBS/OSH might win for strategy purpose. they need to qualify for world championship by reaching at least semifinals. in actual form, they might not be able to beat KKK/TBH. but if there are any arrangements, TBS/OSH might win this match.

KKK/TBH say to YKH:" ok ok, let them win, but the price money goes to our bank account........(heheheh.....winning with losing)"

win-win situation for KKK/TBH n OSH/TBS......it will be the spectators who lose in the end, spending their money on tickets to watch a staged game......hope that Rexy wont allow such ridiculous thing to occur in MAS team.

Badminton / Asian Championships: Boon Heong wants ABC title

By : K.M. Boopathy (boopathy@nst.com.my)


2007/04/07 http://www.nst.com.my/Saturday/Sport/20070407074457/insidepix1
Tan Boon Heong (left) with partner Koo Kien Keat go into the Asian Badminton Championships, which begin in Johor Baru on Wednesday, as favourites for the title.THE Asian Badminton Championships (ABC), which begin in Johor Baru on Wednesday, may not be one of the more popular international events, but it is special for doubles player Tan Boon Heong.
Boon Heong, who partnered Hoon Thien How to reach last year’s final, wants to go one better this time with Koo Kien Keat.

A Kien Keat-Boon Heong victory is much anticipated in Johor Baru, as the duo have captured three of the four Super Series tournaments — the All England, Malaysia and Swiss Opens — they competed in this year.

But for Boon Heong, the Asian title has its own significance. It was at last year’s Asian Championships that Boon Heong’s immense potential was noticed as he and Thien How defeated former world champions Candra Wijaya-Sigit Budiarto of Indonesia in the quarter-finals before losing to compatriots Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah in the final.

"This is the event where I reached my first international final and I will try to go one step better by winning it," said Boon Heong.
"I was not well known then but times have changed, and we need to work harder for the title. We have received a good draw but we are a little short on preparation and that will make it tough.

"However, I never go into any tournament worrying about my opponents or the shortcomings, and my intention is always to win."

Tan Fook-Wan Wah, ranked World No 6, are the only other top 10 pair competing in the Asian Championships and this has made Kien Keat-Boon Heong, ranked World No 9, the favourites to win the title.

Compatriots Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon Hock, who are chasing a World Championships spot, are the only pair likely to provide some resistance to Kien Keat-Boon Heong in an expected quarter-final match.

They could meet scratch pair Lin Woon Fui-Gan Teik Chai in the last four before setting up a final showdown against Tan Fook-Wan Wah.

Should Kien Keat-Boon Heong win the Asian Championships their world ranking is likely to improve to sixth.

More importantly, winning the Asian Championships will serve as a morale booster ahead of the Singapore and Indonesia Opens in May.


GO...GO...GO TBH u can do it....:D :D

but i would not mind if other msian MD beat them... hihihi.. it'll boost the level of confidence of the winner..

i prefer TBS/OSH to win so that they can qualify for the World Championship. WC is our big fish..

Malaysia willl send big forces to ABC.No offend to anyone but what if MAS fail to grab anything..sure kena kutuk kaw kaw.Then it gonna be scary nightmare to me.:D :p .Hope this not happening.

Hahahhahahahhahahahaa, u talking Malay #^%#%* :rolleyes: , LOL, if really NOTHING to grab in early matches, LOL, cancel LIVE TELECAST on RTM 1 for Final & Semi-Final, LOLOL!! :D

currently, we can humbly predict that Malaysia has a good chance of winning the men'd doubles. keep your tickets safely and don't lose it. we shall watch at least a malaysian winner on this sunday.

I started this thread so thought it might be worthwhile to look back at Malaysia performance in relation to the expectation:

MS: LCW is still a pale shadow of his oldself, although realistically his QF match against TH was always on a balance, many Malaysia fans did expect him to push TH given the latter has not been too active this year so far, but he lost in 2 stright sets. His exit was somehow compensated by YKB advance to the semi. Although other Malaysian MS players were outplayed in early rounds despite home ground advantage (look at Round 2 results!). Overall the MS performance can be considered "Below Expectation".

WS: WMC was stopped in the Semi by LL. Given the draw, this was probably the furthest WMC was expected to be. She would need to be above herself to beat LL which did not happen. Again would rate this as "As Expected".

MD: 3 MD in the semi, this is as good as one could expect although the field was considerable weaken with many top pairs not available. Not many would expect LWW/CTF to beat KKK/TBH in the final though. But this is the disciplin that Malaysia could be considered a force. I would say having 3 teams in any semi-finals is an achievement, hence would this as "Above Expectation".

WD: Seriously, I doubt anyone has any expectation here for the Malaysian WD - so will leave this out.

XD: Again no one would have expected much but there is one Malaysian team in the semi! But this XD has one of the weakest participations in this level of competition.

Overall, I would say Malaysia performance is "As Expected".