Here is the tentative list of players proposed by the coaches, pending approval

MS
1. Lee Chong Wei
2. Hafiz Hashim
3. Wong Choong Han
4. Arif Latif :eek:

MD
1. Koo/Tan
2. Choong / Lee
3. Fairuz/Zakry

Looks like they are sending the strongest team ever.
Anything less than a victory would be considered a failure :rolleyes:

It will be Interesting Competiton Between Denmark,China,Indonesia and MAS

the 2nd & 3rd men singles are not that consistent yet!

i'd thought they might've considered YKB or LTS...but i guess i do see the strength in those top 3 MS choices...but it does seem like the only MS competition for MAS is CHN and INA ;)...DEN's Gade and Jonassen are on their last wheels, so i don't believe their team will be as strong MS wise...

i'd thought they might've considered YKB or LTS...but i guess i do see the strength in those top 3 MS choices...but it does seem like the only MS competition for MAS is CHN and INA ;)...DEN's Gade and Jonassen are on their last wheels, so i don't believe their team will be as strong MS wise...

Don't think so, sure probably Peter will lose to LCW:

MAS squad as list from above post (don't understand why they wouldn't send Tsuen Seng (18) Roslin (20), Kay Bin (21) or Sairul (30) as fourth player:

WR2 LEE Chong Wei
WR17 HASHIM Muhd Hafiz
WR16 WONG Choong Hann
WR111 ABDUL LATIF Mohd Arif

Against top 4 Danes:

WR5 GADE Peter
WR8 JONASSEN Kenneth
WR27 5PERSSON Joachim
WR44 MIKKELSEN Peter

Don't think so, sure probably Peter will lose to LCW:

MAS squad as list from above post (don't understand why they wouldn't send Tsuen Seng (18) Roslin (20), Kay Bin (21) or Sairul (30) as fourth player:

WR2 LEE Chong Wei
WR17 HASHIM Muhd Hafiz
WR16 WONG Choong Hann
WR111 ABDUL LATIF Mohd Arif

Against top 4 Danes:

WR5 GADE Peter
WR8 JONASSEN Kenneth
WR27 5PERSSON Joachim
WR44 MIKKELSEN Peter

ya that's what i wondered too, but then again, you can see statistically, the top 3 should beat out Denmark's 3, but will have problems against INA's Top 3...4th wise, LTS might be a better choice going with a vet, but they already have WCH...but i'd take YKB, someone who's at least more ready for it...

i prefer monkey over Arif...

Thomas Cup
1. Lee Chong Wei
2. Muhd Hafiz B Hashim
3. Wong Choong Han
4. Mohd Arif Abdul Latif
5. Koo Kien Keat
6. Tan Boon Heong
7. Choong Tan Fook
8. Lee Wan Wah
9. Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari
10.Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif


Uber Cup
1. Wong Mew Choo
2. Julia Wong Pei Xian
3. Kaur Anita Raj
4. Lydia Cheah Li Ya
5. Wong Pei Tty
6. Chin Eei Hui
7. Lim Pek Siah
8. Haw Chiou Hwee
9. Ng Hui Lin
10.Goh Liu Ying

i actually finally see why they would have arif...he can play doubles as well as singles...maybe not that great, but i think better than any of the top 3 MS, so in case of an injury *knocks on wood*, arif can take someone's place, and it wouldn't matter cause he's 4th MS...good strategy lol

finally,BAM now has confidence on arif.
hope arif can do something there.good game,fighting spirit is good enough.
i remembered the moment lcw beat chen hong in his first international tournamentn keep suprising us after that.
let arif be the 2nd

finally,BAM now has confidence on arif.
hope arif can do something there.good game,fighting spirit is good enough.
i remembered the moment lcw beat chen hong in his first international tournamentn keep suprising us after that.
let arif be the 2nd

I think this single players is good condition and should be in malaysia team:

1st - Lee Chong Wei
2nd - Wong Choong Hann
3rd - Lee Tsuen Seng
4th - Tan Chun Seang or Arif Latif

i actually finally see why they would have arif...he can play doubles as well as singles...maybe not that great, but i think better than any of the top 3 MS, so in case of an injury *knocks on wood*, arif can take someone's place, and it wouldn't matter cause he's 4th MS...good strategy lol

WCH also played doubles bf with CTF in Commonwealth G 2006, won the match, Msia won team gold. That time, LWW was injured.

Here is the tentative list of players proposed by the coaches, pending approval

MS
1. Lee Chong Wei
2. Hafiz Hashim
3. Wong Choong Han
4. Arif Latif :eek:

MD
1. Koo/Tan
2. Choong / Lee
3. Fairuz/Zakry

Looks like they are sending the strongest team ever.
Anything less than a victory would be considered a failure :rolleyes:

Forget about the Thomas Cup. Our team is just too weak, especially the singles.

Better to keep our expectation low this time.

low xpectations.hopefully not low spirit.

hoping them to struggle in a game.
win or lose,let it be 'another stuff'.umimportant one.

I think this single players is good condition and should be in malaysia team:

1st - Lee Chong Wei
2nd - Wong Choong Hann
3rd - Lee Tsuen Seng
4th - Tan Chun Seang or Arif Latif
introduce Tan Chun Seang to me.i dont know him.
describe him a little.

Better to keep our expectation low this time.

Better for Malaysia to send their juniors to give them exposure instead.

introduce Tan Chun Seang to me.i dont know him.
describe him a little.

Chun Seang.... top player in junior national team. Born in Kedah and now.....no.52 in the world ranking.

Some of Achievements

Event Date
Event Name
Round
20 Jan 2008
Proton Malaysia Open Super Series 20081/32
18 Nov 2007
MALAYSIA IINTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE 2007Runner-Up
11 Nov 2007
YONEX SUNRISE VIETNAM OPEN GRAND PRIX1/32
07 Oct 2007
MACAU OPEN GRAND PRIX GOLD1/32
23 Sep 2007
YONEX CHINESE TAIPEI GRAND PRIX GOLD 20071/64
16 Sep 2007
YONEX OPEN JAPAN SUPER SERIESQualifier
22 Jul 2007
BINGO BONANZA PHILIPPINE OPEN 20071/64
08 Jul 2007
SCG THAILAND OPEN GRAND PRIX GOLD 20071/64
02 Jun 2007
CHEERS ASIAN SATELLITE BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPSWinner
27 May 2007
VIETNAM INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE 2007Winner
15 Apr 2007
YONEX-SUNRISE ASIAN CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 20071/64
11 Mar 2007
YONEX ALL ENGLAND SUPER SERIES1/32
04 Mar 2007
YONEX GERMAN OPEN 20071/32
28 Jan 2007
YONEX KOREA OPEN SUPER SERIESQualifier
21 Jan 2007
PROTON MALAYSIA SUPER SERIESQualifier
26 Nov 2006
MAGNUM ABC MALAYSIA SATELLITE 2006Semi-Finalist
19 Nov 2006
YONEX-VIETNAM OPEN 2006Quarter-Finalist
12 Nov 2006
SRILANKA INTERNATIONAL SATELLITERunner-Up

Please take time to vote on this poll:

The Badminton Blog - Thomas Cup 2008 Poll (http://thebadmintonblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/thomas-cup-2008-poll.html)

I think this single players is good condition and should be in malaysia team:

1st - Lee Chong Wei
2nd - Wong Choong Hann
3rd - Lee Tsuen Seng
4th - Tan Chun Seang or Arif Latif
Any team w/o HH will be a GOOD team ;)

without hh,we have nobody to 'kutuk'.so,for this time,let him be la.he knows what is the best for him.

i thought this is the team for the qualifiers only, not the tournament proper?

if so, this is a good team, coz Indonesia and China qualify automatically as hosts and defending champs rite? so that means in the qualifying zone, Malaysia is virtually the top nation....

for the singles, i would prefer:

Lee Chong Wei
Wong Choong Han
Arif Latif
Tan Chun Seang

a nice mix of experience and youth... hehe....

i thought this is the team for the qualifiers only, not the tournament proper?

if so, this is a good team, coz Indonesia and China qualify automatically as hosts and defending champs rite? so that means in the qualifying zone, Malaysia is virtually the top nation....
Bro, U can't discard of Korea, can you? ;)
FYI, there is no SF & Finals in the Qualifying Round . The 4 winners from their respective group will automatically qualify for the Finals round.
Basically, the chances of MAS vs KOREA in Vietnam is ZERO

so actually the full squad is who and who???

from NST

Badminton: Kim Hock has faith in women

By Ajitpal Singh

30 January, 2008

DESPITE the inconsistency of the nation's women shuttlers, national chief coach Yap Kim Hock is confident they will be strong enough to qualify for the Uber Cup Finals in Jakarta on May 11-18. In order to feature in the Finals, Malaysia's women shuttlers will need to finish among the top four in the Uber Cup Asia Zone Qualifiers in Vietnam on Feb 19-24.

"Our chances of qualifying have been boosted by the absence of defending champions China and hosts Indonesia. But what is vital is that the team should get a good seeding based on the individual rankings of the players," said Kim Hock in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

According to Kim Hock, the women will likely be seeded below Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong.

Except for Mew Choo, the other players have so far had little success in the international arena.

Mew Choo is best remembered for winning last year's China Open.

A total of 11 countries, including Malaysia, will be competing in the Qualifiers. The draw for the event will be conducted in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

The last time the Malaysian women's team competed in the Uber Cup Finals was in 2004 also in Jakarta.

Kim Hock also said the men's team should have little problem making the top fourin the Thomas Cup Qualifiers also to be held in Vietnam on the same dates as the Uber Cup.

"Their main focus in the qualifiers will be to collect ranking points for the Beijing Olympics qualification," the coach added.

The men's and women's singles and doubles shuttlers, including those from the Kuala Lumpur Racquet Club (KLRC), will start training from tomorrow under one roof in Bukit Jalil to prepare for the qualifying event.

The squads:

- Thomas Cup: Lee Chong Wei, Hafiz Hashim, Wong Choong Hann, Arif Latif, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah, Zakry Latif-Fairuzizuan Tazari.



- Uber Cup: Wong Mew Choo, Julia Wong, Lydia Cheah, Anita Raj Kaur, Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui, Lim Pek Siah-Haw Chiou Hwee, Goh Liu Ying-Ng Hui Lin.


__________________________________________________ ____

That's your answer George

huh??
HH also in the squad???
no way!!
i think the place shud give to lee tsuen seng.

introduce Tan Chun Seang to me.i dont know him.
describe him a little.
Dear Koo,

Tan Chung Seang is Malaysia single in Project 2010-2012 squad. He has played many tournaments. He has vast experiences. He is tall and thin. He is friendly.

Thank You.

From:
Ayu

Dear Malaysia Bc,

With the name of the squad been make, let's put our hands together and give our full 100% support to the team. I believe that they will make us proud of them. Malaysia Boleh!

From:
Ayu Malaysia Die-hard fan

Why HH still in the list?

Why LTS did not deserved for a place in the thomas cup team 2008?

Good news for ALL Thomas Cup Team's because MAS is giving 1 free game (sponsored by Hafiz) to all his opponents.

Why HH still in the list?

Why LTS did not deserved for a place in the thomas cup team 2008?

Good news for ALL Thomas Cup Team's because MAS is giving 1 free game (sponsored by Hafiz) to all his opponents...

Mate I am an INA supporter and would love to see MAS losing to us...but come on be fair to Hafiz...Tsuen Seng would not be much better anyway...I'll still pick Hafiz...

NB Tsuen Seng lost to Lu Yi in Dutch Open

I'll be happier if you pick Tsuen Seng cos then Simon can win easier in the 3rd game...Hafiz beat Simon before so I think Hafiz is a better choice

HH might not be a good individual player.. but he is a good TEAM player.

the impression I get from Tsuen Seng is that he has no problem beating weaker players, but when faced with more experienced ones, he loses in 3 sets... Evidently from his ranking points profile, the last time I checked, he gets his rankings points from winning small tournaments.

give Hafiz a chance. Who knows maybe he will surprise us. I hope Malaysia will do well to qualify in the Thomas Cup and I hope that the Uber Cup for the Malaysian Team will qualify for the final on their own merit.

Let's give our Malaysian Team our full support.

as much as we hate Hafiz, he is still indispensable. He at least can be counted on as the 3rd singles in easier situations..... And because of his reputation in AE03, we still think that he *might* be able to pull off something if the odds are stacked against him. I still remember 2002 Thomas Cup where he managed to beat Bao in the Thomas Cup Semifinals.... However, after saying that, Tsuen Seng, DID beat Taufik and ignited the imagination of Malaysians in the Thomas Cup Finals. Too bad our two doubles lost...

from the results in my blog (http://thebadmintonblog.blogspot.com):

Lee Chong Wei 91.5%
Wong Choong Hann 83%
Lee Tsuen Seng 42.6%
Hafiz Hashim 31.9%

percentages are the percentage of people that voted for that player (each person was allowed to vote 4 times... )

I am MAS supporter. Sure i supports all MAS player. But not HH. I support those who are really giving 100% their efforts to play and to act as a professional badminton player.

Imagine if LCW behave like HH...
Imagine if
KKK behave like HH...

We hope, then we dissapointed....how to support?

HH is rank at a worst 24 in latest WR!
Even below Lee TS (18) & his brother Roslin (23) :(
Can u guys imagine What will the outcome if the score were tied at 2-2; HH being fielded as 3rd Singles to get the winning points:rolleyes:

yala!
BAM had done a stupid mistake by taking HH as 3RD singles!!!
HH will slip more further IMHO....
MAYBE 30 like that!

After reading today's intv with CTF/LWW, I have rough idea why they chose Hafiz for TC qualifier. Doesnt mean I agree, LTS or junior Tan CS would have been better. Figure it out yourself why :

from the Star

Two pairs relish chance to collect rankings points in Vietnam

KUALA LUMPUR: Two of Malaysia’s men’s pairs – Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif – are in luck.

In the absence of China and Indonesia, these two pairs can concentrate on giving it their all in the Thomas Cup qualifying tournament at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from Feb 19-24 and rake in precious rankings points to boost their quest for places in the Beijing Olympics.

China and Indonesia have already qualified for the Thomas Cup Finals by virtue of being the defending champions and hosts.
The Finals is from May 11-18.

Said Wan Wah: “Unlike China and Indonesia, we have one extra tournament to improve on our world rankings.

“We need to win a minimum of two matches to secure good ranking points. This will be an extra motivation for us to do well.

“Besides, we did not compete at the last year’s Sudirman Cup (world mixed team).

“That means, all the points collected during this team event (at the qualifiers) will be added to our world rankings.

“There will not be any deduction of points, unlike for those who had featured in the Sudirman Cup.

“This is a good opportunity for us to catch up on the pairs ranked ahead of us in the world standings.”

Wan Wah-Tan Fook are currently ranked fourth in the world while Fairuzizuan-Zakry are in the 14th spot. Both are ranked behind the country’s world number three Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong.

“We are not trying to get the better of our team-mates here. The more Malaysian pairs we have at the top, the better it is for us,” said Wan Wah.
A country can have a maximum of three pairs in the Olympics if all are in the top four of the world rankings. But they can only have two representatives if both are in the top 16 bracket.

On the Thomas Cup qualifying tournament, Malaysia should have no problem coming through as one of the top four qualifiers from the Asian region.
In fact, the only real threat to them emerging as the Asian qualifying tournament champions are South Korea.

The other nations in with a shot at making the top four are Hong Kong, Singapore, India and Taiwan.

I understand now..Hafiz Hashim need some ranking points to achieve his Olympic Game dream but i think his chance is very slim.I really don't know whether i should put hope on him again or not.In my heart,i am still hoping he can buck up but i think i am very silly to have such thinking.

It is because BAM is very confident that HH win or lose will not affect the mas team in TC qualifying round.

I am MAS supporter. Sure i supports all MAS player. But not HH. I support those who are really giving 100% their efforts to play and to act as a professional badminton player.



How do you know that HH is not giving 100%?

Not that I am defending him, but I feel his problems are more mental preparation, one that he couldn't get out of.

Best of luck to HH at KLRC, I hope he finds what he was looking for. Misbun once ventured on his own to train in 1982, but that was because he felt the BAM training then was inadequate. Which was quite true, actually.

Monday February 4, 2008
Malaysian doubles rankings a guessing game for rivals

By RAJES PAUL
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia could keep their rivals guessing over the next two-and-a-half months on who will be their number one pair for the Thomas Cup Finals in Jakarta in May.
The current top two pairs are Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah at number three and number four in the world rankings respectively. The world rankings on April 24 will determine the order of the pairs in a team for the men’s world team championships.
There are four major tournaments to the deadline and the ranking order of the top two Malaysian pairs could change.
The four tournaments lined up for the two pairs are the Thomas Cup qualifying tournament (Ho Chi Minh City, Feb 19-24); All-England (Birmingham, March 4-9); Swiss Open (Basel, March 11-16); and the Asian Championships (Johor Baru, April 15-20).
Kien Keat said that it really did not matter whether they were the first or second ranked pair in the team.
“We were ranked as the world number one at the start of the year but we have dropped to third spot. It will be great to be back at number one,” he said.
“The two tournaments that will make a difference for us as far as the rankings are concerned are the All-England and Swiss Open. We are the defending champions and we will lose points if we do not go out there and retain the titles.
“But having said that, Boon Heong and I would not mind being the second pair because there will be less pressure on us. After all, Tan Fook-Wan Wah have the experience of playing as the country’s top pair in the Thomas Cup Finals.”
Based on experience and recent performances, Malaysian can certainly count on Tan Fook-Wan Wah to shoulder the responsibilities as the first pair in the team.
They emerged as the top performers in the World Championships and China Open last year by reaching the semi-finals. They also did well to reach the quarter-finals of the Malaysian Open last month. But both players are carrying injuries, making them unpredictable.
If Kien Keat-Boon Heong can play true to form and shrug off their poor start to the year, crashing out in the second round of the Malaysian Open, they will certainly be the better bet as the team’s top pair.
Malaysia can name Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif, currently ranked 14th in the world, as their third pair. But for the last two Finals, Malaysia have named five doubles players instead of six.
By having three pairs in the team, Malaysia may have a better strategy in their bid to regain the Cup they last won in 1992 in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysian fans will get a sneak preview on what to expect from the three pairs in the upcoming Asian Zone qualifiers.



http://www.thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2008/2/4/sports/20228631&sec=sports

stop the HH bashing!!! He may perform bad at individual events but I still have faith in his team performance!

stop the HH bashing!!! He may perform bad at individual events but I still have faith in his team performance!
u have my support in this statement.

n in individual events,i believe we'll still have hafiz.somewhere in this recent dissapointing hafiz.he has a will to do more.i have faith on him.

stop the HH bashing!!! He may perform bad at individual events but I still have faith in his team performance!

But.....i still remember haw he performed in last TC ... QF..(i think)?.....it was bad..playing againts KJ....but LCW also performed poorly at time....:crying:

But.....i still remember haw he performed in last TC ... QF..(i think)?.....it was bad..playing againts KJ....but LCW also performed poorly at time....:crying:

It was Semi Finals against Denmark. MS lost all 3 singles. LCW vs PG, Hafiz vs KJ, KBH vs Joachim Peerson.
Msia MD fought hard to gain 2 pts, this was the tourney that CCM got the red card in match against JE/ML.( He he thanks to BC vid sharing, I finally got to watch this match recently.)

This is only qualifiers, come May, many things can happen.

i want monkey for 3rd singles please!

:D

its hard to even qualified into thomas cup if we dont have faith on our team.
i mean all players.including the yoyo one.

It was Semi Finals against Denmark. MS lost all 3 singles. LCW vs PG, Hafiz vs KJ, KBH vs Joachim Peerson.
Msia MD fought hard to gain 2 pts, this was the tourney that CCM got the red card in match against JE/ML.( He he thanks to BC vid sharing, I finally got to watch this match recently.)

This is only qualifiers, come May, many things can happen.
but in qf,if we can still remember how hafiz made we proud of him again.
he saves the last chance for malaysia to be in semis.thats the hafiz we are talking about in 2003.but as usual,he behaves as yoyo again in semis.

i hope this year,hafiz will realize how he can turn into that hafiz again n make it happen this year.in order to have that hafiz,i'll give him my support.

Malaysia is not gonna win that Thomas Cup this year, period.

We may even have trouble beating Denmark or South Korea.

i want monkey for 3rd singles please!

:D
the animal monkey will lost very easily if he plays...
bcoz he not enough bananas in vietnam,,,
heheh...
juz joking..

u havent see him in action.arent u??

this is so exciting :)

The Thomas Cup qualifier is not that interesting from MAS point of view. MAS should have no trouble making the last four and after that, the ties are inconsequential. The best teams may not be fielded whether on MAS side or opponent's side.

Now, the Uber Cup. That's the interesting one to watch.

I understand now..Hafiz Hashim need some ranking points to achieve his Olympic Game dream but i think his chance is very slim.I really don't know whether i should put hope on him again or not.In my heart,i am still hoping he can buck up but i think i am very silly to have such thinking.

I think we all facing the same dilemma when choosing 2nd MS for Olympic. Currently the 2nd MS can be Choon Hann, Lee Tsuen Seng, Roslin Hashim and Hafiz. Choon Hann should be the favorable one as he does have experience and still capable of putting up good fight against higher ranking players but in my opinion, Hafiz is the dangerous one and should be considered if he can stay focus. Now that Hafiz is under different stable, lets see how KLRC's coach(Indra Gunawan?) can take him to the next level. Will find out within this few months.

The Thomas Cup qualifier is not that interesting from MAS point of view. MAS should have no trouble making the last four and after that, the ties are inconsequential. The best teams may not be fielded whether on MAS side or opponent's side.

Now, the Uber Cup. That's the interesting one to watch.

In the "slow" month of Feb, any badminton tournament/news is "exciting" :D

In the "slow" month of Feb, any badminton tournament/news is "exciting" :D
..wait til the month of April, this yr...esp. if there is no controversy..hmmm:rolleyes:
Oh wait, there's the local U.S. Nationals tourney up in NorCal in April..;):cool:

3rd singles is a lot of pressure judging from how our Malaysians fared in the last Thomas Cup when Kuan Beng Hong had to step up and take that honour. Hopefully, HH can do a better job this time.

I think we all facing the same dilemma when choosing 2nd MS for Olympic. Currently the 2nd MS can be Choon Hann, Lee Tsuen Seng, Roslin Hashim and Hafiz. Choon Hann should be the favorable one as he does have experience and still capable of putting up good fight against higher ranking players but in my opinion, Hafiz is the dangerous one and should be considered if he can stay focus. Now that Hafiz is under different stable, lets see how KLRC's coach(Indra Gunawan?) can take him to the next level. Will find out within this few months.
Indra Gunawan was no longer in KLRC since last May ( due to cancer)....he is back to Indonesia.

Indra Gunawan was no longer in KLRC since last May ( due to cancer)....he is back to Indonesia.
really??
i extends my condolences.i was not aware.
hope he will be back to his career.

hafiz is really in trouble.
who is his coach now?

In the "slow" month of Feb, any badminton tournament/news is "exciting" :D
yup.no tournament at all.i tend to miss kkk a lot.i mean a lot.
hes back on training for ho chi minch's action.

things are good for the partners.just hope they'll perform.

If u miss KKK then watch his old matches lor.. then you will not miss him.

Indra Gunawan was no longer in KLRC since last May ( due to cancer)....he is back to Indonesia.

I hope he will get well soon. He deserves to retire in good health for what he had done to Indonesian and Malaysian badminton.

the latest news about Indra is that he is not doing so well. :( He has been a great coach and contributes alot to INA and Msia badminton. I'm sure the players who was under his guidance missed being coached by him. We will definately hope that he will get better soon. If can't coach.. it is still good to see him watch badminton in the stadium.

Indra has been coaching in Malaysia for quite somt time, hasn't he? Since 2000? I wish him all the best.

his only hopes when he's with us here in malaysia is to win thomas cup.get a pic with dr. mahathir n siti nurhaliza.

now,i hope we can do something to realize some of his dreams.

from The Star
19 Feb

Badminton: Kim Hock sets lofty targets for men and women in qualifiers
By RAJES PAUL


PETALING JAYA: It will only be considered a successful outing for Malaysia in the Thomas-Uber Cup qualifying tournament if the men emerge as the champions and the women qualify for the Finals on merit.

But, on paper, it looks easier for the men than the women to make it a double joy for Malaysia in the Asian qualifiers, which begins today in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Malaysian men will swing into action tomorrow when they take on the Philippines and Cambodia in their Group A ties.

The women, meanwhile, will begin their campaign against India in Group D on Thursday.

In the absence of defending champions China and Indonesia, who will host the Finals from May 11-19 in Jakarta, there is no reason for the Malaysian men not to emerge champions.

Their only stumbling block will be South Korea, who are powered by the resurgent Lee Hyun-il.

National chief coach Yap Kim Hock said their priority was to improve the players’ individual world rankings.

“The target for the men here is to win one of the four slots for the Finals. But the main concern is for the players to improve their world standings,” said Kim Hock in a telephone interview from Ho Chi Minh City.

“Currently, the Malaysian men’s team are ranked fourth (behind China, Indonesia and Denmark) and we want to be seeded second at the Finals in Jakarta.

“The tournament is also important for several of our men’s singles and doubles players as far as collecting Olympic qualifying points are concerned. This will be an extra motivation for them to win all their matches.”

World No. 2 Lee Chong Wei will lead the men’s team. The others in the team are Wong Choong Hann, Mohd Hafiz Hashim, Mohd Arif Abdul Latif, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif.

Seasoned campaigner Choong Hann, Hafiz and Fairuzizuan-Zakry are the ones determined to strengthen their bids to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.


Kim Hock said the women, led by China Open champion Wong Mew Choo, had a fighting chance of making the top three. (Only the top three nations get automatic berths to the Finals.)

But even if Malaysia were to finish fourth, they could still have a shot at making it to the Finals.

“Scotland are the fourth-ranked team in the European Zone. If Malaysia finish fourth here (at the qualifiers), we will make it to the Finals because we are ranked higher than the Scottish team,” said Kim Hock.

A new Badminton World Federation (BWF) rule states that only one of the fourth-ranked teams at the European and Asian Zones will make it to the Finals based on their overall world rankings.

“But I want the women to look beyond that. I want them to try and reach the Finals on merit,” said Kim Hock.

Malaysia have to beat India tomorrow if they want to avoid facing South Korea in the quarter-finals.

If they can do that, they should meet Singapore in the last eight.

Malaysia’s likely semi-final opponents are Japan. If they lose to Japan, they can still qualify for the Finals as their third-placing playoff could be against either Hong Kong or Taiwan.
The only time that the Malaysian girls have made it to the Finals on merit was in 2004 – but that was achieved on home ground.

the latest news about Indra is that he is not doing so well. :( He has been a great coach and contributes alot to INA and Msia badminton. I'm sure the players who was under his guidance missed being coached by him. We will definately hope that he will get better soon. If can't coach.. it is still good to see him watch badminton in the stadium.


Yes, definitely a great guy if I hear one. He deserves better. Wish him well.

thank u eaglehelang.im looking for this info.
im sure MAS will make it to thomas cup n Uber cup.
for men team,finish at 4th is good enough,isnt is??im sure they can do better than this.

just want to see our players there.
can they play well??
especially the younger one.in my book,its arif.

thank u eaglehelang.im looking for this info.
im sure MAS will make it to thomas cup n Uber cup.
for men team,finish at 4th is good enough,isnt is??im sure they can do better than this.

just want to see our players there.
can they play well??
especially the younger one.in my book,its arif.

Arif is a very good athletic player. I think he will be the next generation player, taking over from LCW. I think he will shine in this qualifier. All the best to him.

Malaysia will not tolerate if it is anything less than 1st in the Qualifier Tournament. If it doesn't happen, then it would be hard to go on from here.

Dear members,

I am a true Malaysian supporters. I believe that we will qualify for the finals in Indonesia. All Malaysia supporters,lets join hands together and shout "Malaysia Boleh".Malaysia players make the country proud of you. Tiger of Malaya ready to roar.

Thank you.

From:
Ayu

thank u eaglehelang.im looking for this info.
.........just want to see our players there.
can they play well??
especially the younger one.in my book,its arif.

Little sis, no need to look for the info. Just go to : www.thestar.com.my (http://www.thestar.com.my), www.nst.com.my (http://www.nst.com.my), www.utusan.com.my (http://www.utusan.com.my) for the reports every day during this qualifiers.

On Arif, Misbun already commented a couple of times...


19 February 2008
NST

(http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Section/index_html?mysec=Sport)
Badminton/Thomas Cup Qualifier: Failure is not an option (http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Section/index_html?mysec=Sport)

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




MALAYSIA look a cut above their rivals in the Thomas Cup qualifying round which begins in Ho Chi Minh City today, so anything other than a place in the final will be deemed a failure.
Malaysia, the top seeds, have listed their best squad save for young Arif Latif, who is being given a chance to gain experience and exposure as a singles reserve, and everything points to a likely showdown against South Korea in Sunday's final.

Lee Chong Wei, Wong Choong Hann and Hafiz Hashim make up the singles line-up while the doubles will have Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah with Zakry Latif-Fairuzizuan Tazari as reserves.

Four teams will qualify for the finals in Jakarta on May 11-18 and Malaysia should have little trouble being one of them.

However, as singles coach Misbun Sidek has urged, the players should think beyond the qualifying campaign and look to the All England in Birmingham on March 4-9.
Misbun has warned the players not to take the qualifier for granted because should any player lose, it could affect his form in the All England which comes only 10 days later.

He said the players need to win in Vietnam and then maintain or improve their form.

In Ho Chi Minh City, Malaysia are in an easy Group A with Cambodia and the Philippines, who they play tomorrow, and Taiwan, who they meet on Thursday.

Malaysia have a tricky match against either Japan or India in the quarter-finals but an upset is unlikely which means they qualify for the finals in Jakarta.

But Malaysia still have the semi-finals to play in Ho Chi Minh City and their likely opponents should be Thailand, and a win will set up a a showdown with South Korea

For the Uber Cup, Malaysia are in Group Z with India and both teams qualify for the last eight regardless of the outcome of their match on Thursday but the Malaysians will be looking for a win to avoid second seeds Korea and instead play Singapore in the quarter-finals.

A win against Singapore will most likely pit them against favourites Japan in the semi-finals which will not see them qualify for the finals as only three teams go through, so Malaysia's chances hinge on the third placing playoff

For those interested about seeing Arif in action :
http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2008&dt=0219&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Sukan&pg=su_05.htm
Utusan Msia, 19 Feb, "Peluang Arif buat penampilan sulung"


Basically, Yap Kim Hock said on Wed, Msia had to play 2X in one day, maybe all players will be fielded, where Arif has chance to play. It's because in the tie against Philipines & Cambodia, Msia is expected to win hands down, no matter which player is fielded (those from Philipines & Cambodia dont get angry, this is what was reported)
If Arif is fielded is best chance for Arif to show his ability to compete at senior level.

We'll see what's the line-up tommorrow.

Predcitons for MAS Line-up

vs Cambodia
MS1 : HH
MS2 : WCH
MS3: ARIF
MD1: CHOONG/LEE
MD2: ZAKRY/FAIRUZ


Vs The Philipines
MS 1: LCW
MS 2: HH
MS 3: ARIF
MD1 : KOO/TAN
MD2: ZAKRY/FAIRUZ

I dont know why they put Arif in action as he is ranked 96, while TCS is ranked 50. sigh...........politics, MAS team isnt going anywhere with this kinda management in BAM. sad.......and this favoritism over real performance isnt a new thing, happened so many times already.

I dont know why they put Arif in action as he is ranked 96, while TCS is ranked 50. sigh...........politics, MAS team isnt going anywhere with this kinda management in BAM. sad.......and this favoritism over real performance isnt a new thing, happened so many times already.

Arif is there as reserve only. I would hazard a guess that it's cos Arif wouldnt get to go AE or Swiss, his ranking still too low. TCS will go for SS. So, I guess if they had to choose only 1 player for qualifiers, they chose Arif.
Since both are training under Misbun & both in Rashid's squad, favouritism shouldnt be the reason. If the player fail, reflects on Rashid & Misbun.
TCS & Arif are now best back-up players. Chan KB is 3rd.

Arif is a very good athletic player. I think he will be the next generation player, taking over from LCW. I think he will shine in this qualifier. All the best to him.

Malaysia will not tolerate if it is anything less than 1st in the Qualifier Tournament. If it doesn't happen, then it would be hard to go on from here.
I said that bcoz its thomas cup qualifier.they will get better in Thomas cup.
n peaked in beijing.the glory moment is in beijing.my hope.

n Arif,i hope he can learn from hafiz.never let go the fire inside u.thats create hunger to win n win.Hes a star in future

Eaglehelang,i mean to log on that website,read it,edit to find main points.
then post it here..

i appreciate ur effort la kak.Thats all.

I dont know why they put Arif in action as he is ranked 96, while TCS is ranked 50. sigh...........politics, MAS team isnt going anywhere with this kinda management in BAM. sad.......and this favoritism over real performance isnt a new thing, happened so many times already.
alfa..i expected u to be happy with arif.seems i was wrong.

Give arif a chance to shine.he is at ranked 96th.bcoz hes not a team member of a big tournament yet.we just want to give him an OPPURTUNITY.

I dont know why they put Arif in action as he is ranked 96, while TCS is ranked 50. sigh...........politics, MAS team isnt going anywhere with this kinda management in BAM. sad.......and this favoritism over real performance isnt a new thing, happened so many times already.

I don't think it's a matter of favouritism. If we must go according to rankings, then there would be a handful (LTS, Roslin, Sairul, don't know who else) before TCS.

TCS has already been involved in Thomas Cup before (if I recall correctly), so I guess maybe it's a baptism of fire for Arif this time.

Come the Thomas Cup Finals, I don't think Arif will be sent as the competition is very serious.

I don't think it's a matter of favouritism. If we must go according to rankings, then there would be a handful (LTS, Roslin, Sairul, don't know who else) before TCS.

TCS has already been involved in Thomas Cup before (if I recall correctly), so I guess maybe it's a baptism of fire for Arif this time.

Come the Thomas Cup Finals, I don't think Arif will be sent as the competition is very serious.

True, a chance to prepare Arif, in case others become unavailable in the future. Expose everyone. TCS would have to rank better and would probably be called on in the future.

Dear members,

I am a true Malaysian supporters. I believe that we will qualify for the finals in Indonesia. All Malaysia supporters,lets join hands together and shout "Malaysia Boleh".Malaysia players make the country proud of you. Tiger of Malaya ready to roar.

Thank you.

From:
Ayu

Yes, I can hear the roar.:D How can Malaysia lose ?

Yes, I can hear the roar.:D How can Malaysia lose ?

Thats the spirit bro! :)

Arif is there as reserve only. I would hazard a guess that it's cos Arif wouldnt get to go AE or Swiss, his ranking still too low. TCS will go for SS. So, I guess if they had to choose only 1 player for qualifiers, they chose Arif.
Since both are training under Misbun & both in Rashid's squad, favouritism shouldnt be the reason. If the player fail, reflects on Rashid & Misbun.
TCS & Arif are now best back-up players. Chan KB is 3rd.

This is even absurb, cos TCS is ranked higher he doesnt deserve to play in the qualifiers? what's this? I thought the best will be chosen to represent our country, not someone who has lower rank.:cool: think deeper........it's not that hard actually.

Theres a place for Tan Chun Seang.some other time.im sure.

We wont waste him.At least not when Fans are complaining about his invisibility in thomas cup qualifier this early.

Yes, I can hear the roar.:D How can Malaysia lose ?
Dear X Ball,

I hope that tiger of Malaya will continue to roar as we had won the first game against Philipines 5-0. Malaysia Boleh!
Thank You.

Best Regards:
Ayu

Dear X Ball,

I hope that tiger of Malaya will continue to roar as we had won the first game against Philipines 5-0. Malaysia Boleh!
Thank You.

Best Regards:
Ayu


There are no tigers as fierce as the Malaysian tigers.:)

There are no tigers as fierce as the Malaysian tigers.:)
Dear X Ball,

Definitely, Malaysia tiger is the best. Let's hope that the players will not take things lightly as it will effect their confident level especially near to All-England.

Best Regards:
Ayu

This is even absurb, cos TCS is ranked higher he doesnt deserve to play in the qualifiers? what's this? I thought the best will be chosen to represent our country, not someone who has lower rank.:cool: think deeper........it's not that hard actually.

Hcyong already given the other reasons, along with Xball's elaboration.
It's not TCS doesnt deserve to go, it's only qualifiers, if you want to think, think of TCS as over-qualified(among the back-up).
TCS will get to go SS, maybe even feature in TC finals as reserve.
BAM sent 2nd tier players & back-up players to 2007 SEA Games as exposure.

Rashid Sidek did state bf that Arif not qualified yet to play in SS/major tourneys, needs to improve & learn how to play among top guns 1st.
Among the back-up, Rashid rated only TCS is near anywhere to LCW's level - this is this year, after Arif promoted to back-up.
Whatever it is, Arif was best MS among BJSS players, he does have the potential.

Of course, I know which reason you mean, one cant say it in open forum, too sensitive. It was also obvious in the way the malay press cover news on Zakry/Fairuz.

I dont think this is related to bias stuff.
lets work for Badminton.for nation.for malaysia.

Tan chun Seang will be recognise.Thats for sure.

The Star Online (http://www.thestar.com.my/default.asp) > Sports
Friday February 22, 2008

Women face must-win situation against Singapore


PETALING JAYA: It will be a do-or-die mission for Malaysia when they face Singapore in the quarter-finals of the Uber Cup qualifying tournament in Ho Chi Minh City today.

And Julia Wong has vowed that the women would go all out to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the Finals, which will be held in Jakarta from May 11-19.

Yesterday, Wong Mew Choo led Malaysia to a 4-1 win over India to emerge as Group D champions and set up a meeting with the Group B runners-up Singapore, who suffered a 0-5 loss to South Korea.

The win over India did not come easy for some of the players.

Mew Choo had to toil for 44 minutes to beat Saina Nehwal 15-21, 22-20, 21-17 to give Malaysia a flying start yesterday.

Julia, however, put up a solid display to beat Trupti Murgunde 21-10, 21-12 to give Malaysia a 2-0 lead.

Malaysia chose to field the experienced Anita Raj Kaur instead of Lydia Cheah but the former failed to live up to expectations when she lost 9-21, 24-26 to Aditi Mutatkar.

The women doubles pairs of Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty and Lim Pek Siah-Haw Chiou Hwee delivered the last two points in contrasting fashions.
Eei Hui-Pei Tty won in straight game while the KLRC Bhd players dropped a game.
Julia said they had a fighting chance against Singapore.

“Our hopes of qualifying for the Finals is gone if we lose to Singapore. We need to make it to the top four to make the cut. We are encouraging each other to give our best tomorrow,” said Julia in a telephone interview from Ho Chi Minh City.

“I will probably play against China-born Fu Mingtian in the second singles. I am going all out for a win,” she said.

Said chief coach Yap Kim Hock: “The quarter-finals will be closely contested. We are hoping to win points in the first singles (Mew Choo) and first doubles (Eei Hui-Pei Tty) but we have a fight on our hands in the other matches.”

Mew Choo, the world No. 8, is expected to take on Xing Aiying (world No. 39) while Eei Hui-Pei Tty are set to face Jiang Yanmei-Li Yujia.

from The Star

Scratch combination put Malaysia in the Uber Cup Finals
By RAJES PAUL


PETALING JAYA: One is a Commonwealth Games champion while the other is a world junior champion. Yesterday, the senior-junior scratch combination of Lim Pek Siah and Ng Hui Lin brought joy for Malaysia.

Pek Siah and Hui Lin, who are playing as a pair for the first time, nailed the winning point in Malaysia's stunning 3-1 win over Singapore in the quarter-finals of the Uber Cup qualifying tournament at Ho Chi Minh City yesterday.
With their win yesterday, Malaysia are virtually assured of a place in the Finals which will be held in Jakarta from May 11-19.

Today, Malaysia will take on Japan in the semi-finals.

Even if they lose, Malaysia should make it to the Finals by virtue of being ranked higher than Scotland, the fourth-ranked European team.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) had made a ruling that the fourth-ranked Asian and European teams in the qualifiers would be decided on their overall world standings.

Yesterday, though, Malaysia got off to a jittery start.
The hope was on Wong Mew Choo but the China Open champion went down fighting 20-22, 19-21 to China-born Xing Aiying.

The defeat, however, did not dampen the spirit of the Malaysian camp as Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty put Malaysia back in the fight with a 21-16, 21-17 win over Jiang Yanmei-Li Yujia.

Julia Wong lived up to expectations by putting Malaysia 2-1 up after a superb 21-10, 21-12 win over Fu Mingtian.

Malaysia pulled off a surprise by fielding Pek Siah of the KLRC Bhd and Hui Lin, who won the world junior mixed doubles with Lim Khim Wah and the duo did not disappoint when they clinched the winning point with a sensational 21-17, 21-15 win over Yao Lei-Sari Shinta Mulia.

Julia was ecstatic with the women's achievement. It is only the second time that the women had qualified for the Finals on merit.

“I was a reserve when Malaysia first qualified for the Finals on merit (in 2004). But today, I contributed one point in Malaysia's success. It feels great,” said Julia in a telephone interview from Ho Chi Minh City.