I'm taking the half day off and go again in the afternoon, hopefully to catch LD in action. And porroy too with his cameras on the courtside.
Nice, please tell him I said hi. Hopefully he can remember me from last year in KL. Take lots of nice pics.
No, I played with Epaphroditus against a couple of sprightly young chaps. Poor Epa nearly collapsed from exhaustion at the end
Taufik faces fine by Low Lin Fhoong 04:47 AM Jun 15, 2011 Indonesian stars Taufik Hidayat and Sony Dwi Kuncoro could be fined US$250 (s$308) each by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) for missing the Li-Ning Singapore Open 2011 pre-tournament press conference. According to S Selvaamresh, BWF Superseries marketing manager, players have to attend pre-tournament press conferences when requested if it is held one day before their scheduled match. Speaking to MediaCorp yesterday, he said: "Under the section offence and penalties, if the player withdraws after final entries for the competition for the super series, does not attend mixed zone interviews or the pre-tournament press conference, the first time penalty is US$250, and every subsequent offence will be US$500. "If there is no good explanation from the Indonesian team, the penalty rule will apply." China's world No 2 Lin Dan had also skipped Monday's event, citing a stomach ache, and the BWF have accepted his explanation
Singapore men falter by Low Lin Fhoong 04:47 AM Jun 15, 2011 SINGAPORE - The Republic's men were shown the exit at the Li-Ning Singapore Open 2011 yesterday, after the men's singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles pairs all failed to advance to the main draw of the US$200,000 (S$246,460) superseries tournament. Derek Wong and Ashton Chen were defeated by Russia's Ivan Sozonov (21-19, 18-21, 16-21) and Przemyslaw Wacha of Poland (21-17, 21-12) in the men's singles qualifiers, while all three mixed doubles pairs also failed to get into the main party. Men's doubles pair Chayut Triyachart and Liu Yi were also bundled out after a 2-1 loss to Indonesians Joko Riyadi and Ukikasah Yoga. Team Singapore will be represented in the women's singles and women's doubles (four pairs), with defending champions Yao Lei and Shinta Mulia Sari to begin their campaign against England's Mariana Agathangelou and Heather Alver today. There was some good news for former national player Zhang Beiwen, who lost to reigning world champion Wang Lin of China, who only just returned from a serious knee injury. The Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) hope Zhang, 20, will return to the national team after the SEA Games in Indonesia in November. Zhang was dropped to disciplinary issues and SBA chief executive officer Bobby Lee said: "Her contract was not renewed mainly because of her disciplinary problems. "Her punishment will continue through to the SEA Games, and if coach is satisfied that she has learnt her lesson and we are satisfied, there is a possibility to bring her back. But we will need to discuss this with the management committee."
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/sports/taufik-hidayat-outburst-over-media-no-show/447121 Seems like there is communication breakdown somewhere. I think in the past Taufik almost always attended the required press conference.
Pity TH. He should use the same excuse like this bloke (in red font) and escape punishment but I guess this is not his style.
Hidayat's outburst at Singapore Open By Tan Yo-Hinn | Posted: 15 June 2011 1833 hrs Taufik Hidayat (file picture) SINGAPORE - Top seed Taufik Hidayat endured some harrowing moments before reaching the last 16 of the US$200,000 Li-Ning Singapore Open 2011 badminton championship's men's singles event on Wednesday. And the drama continued off court in his post-match press conference when he hit back at reports describing him as "unprofessional". The Indonesian star edged out Malaysian qualifier Daren Liew 22-24, 21-12, 21-18 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The 29-year-old, who won the tournament in 2001 and 2005, was clearly upset over reports back home that he behaved unprofessionally when he failed to turn up for a pre-tournament press conference on Monday. While he apologised for the no-show, he insisted he was not informed of the press conference as he had travelled to Singapore separately from the Indonesian national squad. The former Olympic and world champion will face either China's Wang Zhengming or Thailand's Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk in the last 16 on Thursday. - CNA/ir
Badminton: Singapore's Shinta Mulia, Yao Lei into last 16 By Tan Yo-Hinn, TODAY | Posted: 15 June 2011 1626 hrs Singapore's Yao Lei and Shinta Mulia Sari (file picture) SINGAPORE: Local shuttlers had a mixed start on the first day of the main round of the Li-Ning Singapore Open 2011 badminton championship on Wednesday. Defending women's doubles champions Yao Lei and Shinta Mulia Sari moved into the last 16, but only after a tricky three-set win over England's Mariana Agathangelou and Heather Olver at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Yao Lei and Shinta, who became the first Singaporeans in 20 years to win a title at the tournament, made a poor start, losing the opening set 21-19, before recovering to take the second set 21-8 to force a rubber, which they won 21-16. "We were too rushed at the start and we made mistakes. In the second set, we were more patient to see what their weaknesses were," said Shinta. Yao Lei added: "It wasn't an easy match but we kept telling each other not to be distracted and do what we're supposed to do." They will now face eighth seeds Valeri Sorokina and Nina Vislova of Russia on Thursday for a spot in the quarter-finals. Joining them in action on Thursday will be team-mates Chen Jiayuan and Xing Aiying, who beat England's Jenny Wallwork and Gabrielle White 21-16, 21-9 to reach the last 16. The pair will face fourth seeds Shizuka Matsuo and Mami Naito of Japan. But Vanessa Neo and Thng Ting Ting are out, after going down 2-1 to Denmark's Line Damkjaer Kruse and Marie Roepke. Singapore's other pair, Liang Xiaoyu and Tan Wei Han, were also knocked out by Australia's Leanne Choo and Renuga Veeran 2-1. In the women's singles, Singapore's Gu Juan reached the last 16 after edging out Japan's Ayane Kurihara 2-1 (14-21, 21-19, 21-13). She will face either Japan's Ai Goto or seventh-seed Porntip Buranaprasertsuk of Thailand on Thursday. However, Singapore's Fu Mingtian and Chen were first-round casualties. Fu put up a spirited display before bowing out to China's world No 1 Wang Shixian 2-0 (21-10, 21-15), while Chen fell to Thailand's Inthanon Ratchanok by the same scoreline. Men's singles first round results: Taufik Hidayat (INA) bt Daren Liew (MAS) 22-24, 21-12, 21-18 Bao Chunlai (CHN) bt Sony Dwi Kuncoro (INA) 21-19, 21-13 Chen Long (CHN) bt Yunus Alamsyah (INA) 21-15, 21-7 Park Sung-Hwan (KOR) bt P. Kashyap (IND) 21-15, 21-14 Chen Jin (CHN) bt Hans-Kristian Vittinghus (DEN) 21-23, 21-9, 21-10 Marc Zwiebler (GER) bt Chou Tien-chen (TPE) 14-21, 21-18, 21-19 Rajiv Ouseph (ENG) bt Brice Leverdez (FRA) 19-21, 21-14, 21-17 Peter Gade (DEN) bt Tommy Sugiarto (INA) 21-11, 21-16 Simon Santoso (INA) bt Nguyen Tien Minh (VIE) 15-21, 24-22, 21-17 Lin Dan (CHN) bt Shon Wan-Ho (KOR) 21-14, 21-15 Jan O Jorgensen (DEN) bt Kenichi Tago (JPN) 21-19, 21-14 Viktor Axelsen (DEN) bt Wong Choong Hann (MAS) 25-23, 21-19 Du Pengyu (CHN) bt Boonsak Ponsana (THA) 15-21, 21-13, 21-8 Wang Zhengming (CHN) bt Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk (THA) 21-18, 21-15 Sho Sasaki (JPN) Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka (INA) 21-17, 17-21, 21-18 Lee Hyun-Il (KOR) bt Kazushi Yamada (JPN) 21-14, 21-13 Women's singles first round results: Wang Shixian (CHN) bt Fu Mingtian (SIN) 21-10, 21-15 Tine Baun (DEN) bt Linda Zechiri (BUL) 21-11, 21-10 Wang Xin (CHN) bt Pi Hongyan (FRA) 21-11, 21-8 Yao Jie (NED) bt Sung Ji-Hyun (KOR) 23-21, 21-15 Wang Yihan (CHN) bt Adrianti Firdasari (INA) 21-17, 21-17 Wang Lin (CHN) bt Anastasia Prokopenko (RUS) 21-15, 21-8 Juliane Schenk (GER) bt Lindaweni Fanetri (INA) 21-18, 21-16 Ratchanok Inthanon (THA) bt Chen Jiayuan (SIN) 21-13, 21-12 Gu Juan (SIN) bt Ayane Kurihara (JPN) 14-21, 21-19, 21-13 Aprilla Yuswandari (INA) bt Eriko Hirose (JPN) 21-18, 21-19 Sayaka Sato (JPN) bt Maria Febe Kusumastuti 21-12, 18-21, 21-16 Cheng Shao-chieh (TPE) bt Petya Nedelcheva (BUL) 21-17, 18-21, 21-9 Bae Youn-Joo (KOR) bt Salakjit Ponsana (THA) 21-15, 21-11 Saina Nehwal (IND) bt Lu Lan (CHN) 21-18, 13-21, 21-16 Ai Goto (JPN) bt Porntip Buranaprasertsuk (THA) 21-11, 21-7 Tai Tzu-Ying (TPE) bt Arundhati Pantawane (IND) 21-16, 21-13 - TODAY
Angry Taufik clears his name by Tan Yo-Hinn 04:47 AM Jun 16, 2011 Badminton Li-Ning Singapore Open 2011 SINGAPORE - He had just emerged victorious after an almighty first-round scrap with Malaysian upstart Daren Liew. But minutes after his win, Taufik Hidayat (picture), the world No 3 and top seed at the US$200,000 (S$246,899) Li-Ning Singapore Open badminton championship, was not interested in talking about his 64-minute battle. Instead, the Indonesian star was adamant his name was cleared, after the press back home had branded him "unprofessional" when he failed to show up for a scheduled pre-tournament media conference on Monday. The fallout over Monday's controversy when a number of the game's top stars, including China's Lin Dan, were accused of letting their sport down continued on the sidelines of the opening day of the main draw, when Taufik reacted furiously over a report in his native Indonesia. Taufik, who beat Liew 22-24, 21-12, 21-18, apologised after his match for failing to turn up on Monday. Then, after seeking out and spotting Badminton World Federation (BWF) Superseries marketing manager S Selvam, he seemed to direct his comments at the official, saying: "I've been called unprofessional. Why am I not professional? I saw the paper from the BWF. Where is the manager from BWF ... Why (did) you say in the Indonesian paper I was not professional? It's bad name for me." Taufik, who has had a few run-ins with badminton authorities in the past, added: "Indonesia is big, badminton is big (in Indonesia) and it's my name that is (being made to look) bad. I never say no to press conference(s). You know me." The 29-year-old was fuming over a report in Indonesian daily Kompas, which quoted Danish star Peter Gade as saying the BWF should help make the shuttlers "more professional". Selvam was quoted in the article as saying there were rules requiring players to attend media events. The controversy erupted after several players, including defending Singapore Open champion Sony Dwi Kuncoro - who fell 21-19, 21-13 to China's world No 9 Bao Chunlai last night - failed to attend scheduled media conferences on Monday. A number of China's star names who did show up fielded questions dismissively. All teams, upon arrival in Singapore, were given their passes and information booklets, informing them of their media obligations, among others. But Taufik, 29, arrived separately from the Indonesian national squad as he now competes as an individual. A representative was dispatched to pick up his documents but neither he or his coach Mulyo Handoyo receive any word about their obligation on Monday. Tournament media director Rose Tan said in a statement: "Our investigation showed that both Taufik's and Sony's representatives were handed the circulars. Unfortunately, the message was not relayed to the players." While the BWF did bring up the issue of possible fines for the shuttlers, MediaCorp understands that Taufik and Sony will not be punished. The brouhaha may have affected his concentration in the first game against Liew, but slowly, the former Olympic and world champion regained his composure in his quest for a third Singapore Open title. "I haven't played here for about two years ... and had to get used to the conditions again, and the new Li-Ning shuttlecock, which I've not tried before. The third set was lucky for me as Liew made many mistakes," he said. China's world No 2 and tournament favourite, Lin Dan, had no such problems, defeating South Korea's Shon Wan Ho 21-14, 21-15.
MRT Stadium The is a relatively new MRT train station that brings sports and fun loving people together but its importance will grow even greater when the adjoining spaces are built up to become the new Kallang Sports Hub, with facilities for soccer, watersports, indoor games, etc, plus recreational, entertainment and F&B outlets. The station is beautiful both inside, on the train platform where greenish-blue floor tiles are used alongside darker walls that gave a tall, elongated and curvy look. It is like a deep misterious cave when looked down from the escalators on top and on the high glass panels at both exits are displayed figures of sports people in action. A beautiful and uncluttered piece or architectural art!
