The Star Online > Sports Saturday, March 01, 2003 Veteran shuttler is back By RAJES PAUL KUALA LUMPUR: Veteran shuttler Ong Ewe Hock is back in action after a five-month enforced absence. And he is leading a new group of players who are aiming to win titles for the nation in international tournaments. The 31-year-old Ewe Hock, who was slapped with a three-month suspension – which ended on Feb 26 – and then dropped from the national team, has been training diligently with 13 other players at the Kong Meng Badminton Hall in Balakong since last week. Several players who have been dropped from the national squad are also training under Ewe Hock. They are Sairul Amar Ayob, Ismail Saman, Ng Kean Kok, Allan Tai, Ramesh Nathan and Mohd Nazree Latifi. The others include players from the disbanded Special Project Squad at Pulapol. Independent player Yong Hock Kin, who is no longer training with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) players under the Misbun Sidek, was also seen training with Ewe Hock's group yesterday. His short-term training stint with BAM ended after the back-to-back All-England and Swiss Open. For a start, only Ewe Hock, Sairul, and Ismail will be representing the country at the Japan Open from April 1-6 and Korean Open from April 8-13. Before that, all players under Ewe Hock's group will be playing at the Selangor Open from March 6-9. Ewe Hock said yesterday the group was out to win honours for the country. “I am not their coach but I try to help them. I just arranged for these players to train together. Having trained under so many coaches, I prepare the training plan, including court and physical training, for each of them based on my past experiences,” said Ewe Hock. Ewe Hock said they were not out to compete with BAM. “We are something like the Nusa Mahsuri but we are not a club. Nusa did well because their players Mohd Hafiz (Hashim) and (Mohamed) Roslin have done well. We want to be another group that can produce good results for the country. “This group will be an avenue for others who have no place in the national team but still want to prove that they can carry the Malaysian flag at international level.” Asked if he would form a club to accommodate all the players, Ewe Hock said, “I am thinking about it but I have not decided yet. It involves a lot of money and it is certainly not an easy job. “We are new and not many sponsors will come in now. We will let our performances persuade sponsors to come in.” Asked if he would get former national coach Indra Gunawan of Indonesia to become their coach if they ever formed a club, he said, “It would be great if Indra is willing to come and help.” Ewe Hock, who last competed at the Danish Open in October last year said that he would not set high targets in the coming tournaments. “I have not been playing for a long time and I need to get the feel of a tournament again,” said Ewe Hock, who will play only in the men's doubles and mixed doubles at the Selangor Open. The Penangite said he was disappointed with the BAM's decision to drop him from the squad. “I expected some form of penalty because of the issue with the BAM secretary. “However, I cannot accept the BAM's decision to drop me. Anyway, I am still pursuing my dream to play for the country.”
