Badminton: Still a rare feat all right
BY LIM TEIK HUAT
Koo Kien Keat and Chan Chong Ming
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei and Chan Chong Ming-Koo Kien Keat may have achieved a rare feat by clinching both men’s singles and doubles titles in the Denmark Open badminton championships but don’t read too much into their victories.
While Malaysia sent their best players, China and Indonesia chose to skip the five-star tournament this year.
However, it was certainly heartening to see Chong Wei and Chong Ming-Kien Keat, who were not really tested until the finals, living up to their reputations as world-class players this time.
Second seed Chong Wei defeated teammate Mohd Hafiz Hashim 17-14, 15-8 to win his first major title outside Malaysia while fourth-seeded Chong Ming-Kien Keat earned their biggest career win by beating defending champions and top seeds Jens Eriksen-Martin Lundgaard Hansen 15-6, 15-7.
The last time Malaysia bagged both the Denmark Open titles was in 1966 – through Tan Aik Huang and the doubles pair of Ng Boon Bee-Tan Yee Khan.
Hafiz had earlier bagged his third international title for the year – the Dutch Open – the previous week. Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah also came good in the Dutch Open, winning their first title in more than a year.
Women’s doubles pair Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty also reached the final in the Dutch Open but finished runner-up to local pair Mia Audina-Lotte Bruil.
National head coach Yap Kim Hock is glad to see the Malaysian players taking the opportunity to sweep both the men’s singles and doubles titles from their campaign in Europe.
“The Chinese and Indonesians players also did not take part in the preceding Dutch Open but we have a better idea of where our players stand now.
“I am pleased that we have won four titles from both tournaments in Europe. It would have been better if they had achieved it in the presence of Chinese shuttlers. Their performance is getting better and the specialised training under different coaches is certainly paying off,” said Kim Hock in a telephone interview from Holland.
Lee Chong Wei
Chong Wei, the 23-year-old national number one, has certainly chalked up another milestone in his blossoming badminton career, earning his biggest career payday of US$13,600 (RM51,680) and beating Hafiz outside Malaysia.
Although unbeaten at home for the last three years, Chong Wei had found it difficult to overcome Hafiz in overseas meets, losing to his rival in the semi-finals of the German Open this year.
Chong Wei looked more confident now and Li Mao’s training methods could be a major reason.
“It’s nice to have won a five-star event at last. My immediate aim will be to prepare for the Hong Kong Open and the SEA Games,” said Chong Wei.
Kien Keat, the younger partner of Chong Ming, was also happy to have achieved a breakthrough in their one-year partnership.
“This is our biggest international win. We won the Taiwan Open last year but it was only a three-star tournament.
“While I am happy to have achieved my target of winning a big tournament this year, I hope to be more consistent from now on,” said Kien Keat, who is now training under Indonesian coach Rexy Mainaky