TheStar PETALING JAYA: National players will no longer be able to skip local tournaments. National head coach Yap Kim Hock wants all national shuttlers to take part in these tournaments or they could face the axe from international Opens. For a start, all 14 national players, including those bound for the World Badminton Championships in August, will have to take part in the Pahang Open in Kuantan from June 16-19. The 14 Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) players bound for California are Lee Chong Wei, Mohd Hafiz Hashim, Wong Choong Hann, Koo Kien Keat, Chan Chong Ming, Tan Bin Shen, Ong Soon Hock, Mohd Fairuzizuan Tazari and Lin Woon Fui (men's); Wong Mew Choo, Chin Eei Hui, Wong Pei Tty, Mooi Hing Yau and Ooi Sock Ai (women's). The Pahang Open is the second of a three-leg National Grand Prix Circuit. The opening leg took place in Kedah in April while Selangor will host the third leg from Aug 4-7. The domestic calendar will end with the National Grand Prix Finals, slated for Dec 1-4. “All players in the national team have to play in local tournaments from now. They cannot simply skip them or pull out unless they are really injured,” said Kim Hock. For Kim Hock, the Pahang tournament will be part of the players' preparations for the world meet in Anaheim, California from Aug 15-21. “Besides the Pahang Open, the top men players will also tune up with a friendly tie against Denmark on June 24 before we compete in the Singapore Open (June 28-July 3) and Malaysia Open (July 5-10).” National number two Hafiz and his elder brother Roslin Hashim skipped the Kedah Open in April. With Kim Hock's directive, the Pahang Open will not just see a full field for the men's singles but will also see exciting action in the doubles, with the return of former top pair Lee Wan Wah-Choong Tan Fook and with former top singles player Choong Hann teaming up with Chew Choon Eng. Wan Wah will be in action for the first time since he went for a knee operation after the Athens Olympics last August while Tan Fook has also recovered from an injury which saw him out from the Sudirman Cup world mixed team championships last month.
That's a good news for local fans... seldom get chance to see our boys playing on home soil unless during malaysia open, ipoh masters. and national circuit consists of a few legs... that means fans from different regions got chance to see their favourites in action in front of them +)))) mouth watering!!
