The Star PETALING JAYA: Welcome home. To Anaheim, California. The venue of the badminton World Championships will be almost a home away from home for the national shuttlers going there – and it's not just because of the balmy Californian weather. The Malaysian Association of Southern California (MSSC) have planned a welcoming dinner for the 21-member Malaysian squad on Aug 13, a day after the team arrive. Besides the warm reception, the Malaysian players can also expect rewards from the Malaysian community in California if they reach the semi-finals. Tour packages are being lined up as prizes for the shuttlers who do well. The local Malaysians will also be at the stadium to cheer on the players during the seven-day tournament from Aug 15-21. Yesterday, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) secretary P. Ganga Rao said the players would feel right at home when they arrive in the United States. “The MSSC have written to us and wanted to welcome us there. They are looking forward to a gathering with our badminton players. “We have agreed and it will certainly help us settle down quickly over there,” said Ganga. “To encourage the players further, they are also giving away tour packages for players who reach the semi-finals. “These are two-day tours within the US. “We appreciate their gesture. Most of our players are going to the US for the first time. “With the warm and sunny weather there, our players will surely feel at home,” said Ganga. The BAM have not set a target for the players in the world championships. The best bets, however, will be world number five Lee Chong Wei and world number eight Mohd Hafiz Hashim in the men's singles event. Hopes are also high that world number eight Chan Chong Ming-Koo Kien Keat and the world number seven pair of Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty will live up to their rankings and reach at least the quarter-finals of the men's doubles and women's doubles events respectively. The others in the squad are men's singles shuttler Wong Choong Hann; doubles players Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Lin Woon Fui, Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon Hock and Choong Tan Fook-Chew Choon Eng; women singles players Wong Mew Choo, M. Sutheaswari; and the women's doubles pairs of Mooi Hing Yau-Ooi Sock Ai, Fong Chew Yen-See Phui Leng and Lim Pek Siah-Chor Hooi Yee. I hope this special treatment will boost the spirit and determination of the Malaysian players. MALAYSIA BOLEH!!
