[size=-1]The Star Online > Sports[/size] Sunday July 25, 2004 [size=+2]Shuttlers expected to return with one gold[/size] BY RAJES PAUL KUALA LUMPUR: The national shuttlers will be carrying a heavy burden on their shoulders at the Olympic Games in Athens – they are expected to bring home at least one gold medal. In a meeting with the NSC, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) chief coaches - Misbun Sidek and Yap Kim Hock - and the Olympic-bound players vowed to deliver at least one gold medal in Athens. And the players Malaysia will be counting on are Wong Choong Hann and Mohd Roslin Hashim in the men's singles and Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah in the men's doubles. The other Olympic qualifiers are debutants Lee Chong Wei (men's singles), Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng (men's doubles) and Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty (women's doubles) The badminton competition will be held from Aug 14-21. Yesterday, NSC's international athletes' preparation director Ahmad Shapawi Ismail said the Athens Games could be the last Olympic outing for the seniors. “We have had meetings with the national coaches and players and assurances were given that they would go all out to win at least a gold medal. “We (the NSC and BAM) have worked together in the team's preparation for the Athens Games. We have conducted joint programmes to equip the players for the tough challenges at the Olympics,†said Shapawi. “Probably, this is the best time for senior players like Choong Hann, Roslin and Tan Fook-Wan Wah to win the elusive gold medal for Malaysia in badminton. They are unlikely to be there for the next Olympics and we hope they will give their all,†he said. Four years ago, the 27-year-old Choong Hann and Tan Fook (28) and Wan Wah (29) competed at the Sydney Olympics. They will all be past 30 during the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Choong Hann lost to China's Xia Xuanze in the quarter-finals while Tan Fook-Wan Wah were defeated by South Korean Lee Dong-soo-Yoo Yong-sung in the semi-finals. In the bronze playoff, the duo were beaten by South Korean Kim Dong-moon-Ha Tae-kwon. The 29-year-old Roslin is taking part in the Olympics for the first time. The best Malaysia have done at the Olympic was a silver medal by Cheah Soon Kit-Kim Hock in the doubles at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Rashid Sidek also won a bronze then while his brothers Razif and Jalani brought home a bronze medal from the 1992 Barcelona Games when badminton was an exhibition sport.
