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Thursday, June 9, 2011

Badminton: Four pairs urged to nail tough first-round ties

PETALING JAYA: National back-up squad men’s doubles coach Tan Kim Her has one instruction to his charges competing in the Thailand Open GP Gold in Bangkok next week – win their first match.
He has four pairs in the fray – Ow Yao Han-Chooi Kah Ming, Goh Wei Shem-Lim Khim Wah, Chan Peng Soon-Tan Wee Kiong and Mak Hee Chun-Yew Hong Kheng. And none of them face an easy ride in the first round.
Yao Han-Kah Ming will face seventh seeds Ingo Kindervater-Johannes Schoettler of Germany while Wei Shem-Khim Wah are up against sixth seeds Cho Gun-woo-Kwon Yi-goo of South Korea.
Hee Chun-Hong Kheng will even have to play two rounds in the qualifying tournament to earn their place in the main draw.
No easy ride: Malaysia’s Ow Yao Han (left) and Chooi Kah Ming will face Germany’s Ingo Kindervater-Johannes Schoettler in the first round of the Thailand Open GP Gold.
Nevertheless, Kim Her is positive that his boys will be able to do well in the tournament.
“My instruction to them is simple. Get past the first round match and reaching the quarter-finals or semi-finals shouldn’t be a problem,” he said.
“And my best bets to go far in the tournament are Yao Han-Kah Ming, who are one of the most improved pairs.
“They are up against a German pair and they just need to step up their game on the day itself to win the match.”
Meanwhile, there was a surprise when Hee Chun, who has recovered from a shoulder injury, was paired up with Hong Kheng for the tournament.
Hee Chun previously partnered Wee Kiong but that partnership has taken a turn for the worse due to a lack of understanding and it was understood that the Thailand Open GP Gold would serve as the last chance for them to save the partnership.
For now, Kim Her has chosen instead to split the duo but will give them a chance in the Singapore Open Super Series from June 14-19.
“I just want to let them play instead of keeping them by the sidelines,” said Kim Her.
“Hee Chun-Wee Kiong were quite good and they still have a world ranking (No. 51) and I want them to make full use of a bigger tournament to revive their partnership.”

Badminton star’s wise words

badminton star Datuk Lee Chong Wei was greatly encouraged by the massive turnout at the One Million Youth Gathering in Putrajaya on Saturday.
Throngs of fans stopped by the Proton booth to meet and greet Lee, who shared with them what inspired him the most.
“I came here to spur the youths to achieve their passion with courage and determination,” he said.
Lee, who devoted himself to the sport since he was 17, said he never took his sight off his goal of becoming the best.
He urged junior national players to have more zeal in their game and show enthusiasm and discipline.
“The juniors, like many of our youths, should address their passions seriously so they will go far.
“I started playing basketball in school. With my father’s encouragement, I got really serious in badminton,” he added.
Lee said sports could help the young generation to channel their energy healthily.
He added that youths should also fully utilise sports facilities provided by the Govern-ment.
“Nowadays there are many futsal courts and badminton halls in the country unlike several years ago.
“These and other sport facilities are built by the Government. So, make use them in a healthy way and not just a place to hang out,” he said.

Li Na turns from badminton to Grand Slam champion

PARIS (AP) - If China's 1.3 billion people want to thank someone for their country's first Grand Slam singles title, they can say "merci" to Li Na's former badminton coach.
The 29-year-old Li became the first from her country to win a major tennis title Saturday when she beat defending champion Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 7-6 (0) in the French Open final.
"My dad wanted me to become a badminton champion, that's why he made me play tennis," Li said of her father, who also played badminton. "After two years of training, the badminton coach told me I was not made for badminton and that I should rather play tennis."
How right he was.
Li won the final nine points on Court Philippe Chatrier, and then dropped to the ground to celebrate. When she got up, her back covered in clay, she was the last woman standing at Roland Garros.
"I thought about what I should do in such a moment if I became the champion," Li said. "But to fall on the ground at the end of the match was not what I had imagined. It wasn't planned. I just couldn't help it."
The title was only the fifth of Li's career, and first on clay. She was broken only once by the defending champion, while she converted two of her eight break points - one in each set. She finished with 31 winners, while Schiavone had only 12.
"I couldn't really push forward from the baseline," Schiavone said. "She deserved to win. One has to lose, one has to win. She deserves everything."
Li started the year playing well. She won her fourth title in Sydney just before the Australian Open, and then became the first Chinese player to reach a Grand Slam final in the year's first major. She lost, however, falling to Kim Clijsters in three sets.
This time around, Li was more prepared for the pressure.
"At the Australian Open, it was the first time that I was in the final (of a major). I had no experience. I was very nervous," Li said. "For my second time in a final, I had the experience. I knew how to do it. And I had more self-confidence."
In the first set, Li took a 3-2 lead when Schiavone sent a forehand wide. Li then held at love in her next two service games and finally won the set when Schiavone sent a forehand long.
"She (kept) me really far away from the net or inside the court, so I was always too (defensive)," Schiavone said. "With the slice, (it) was not easy because she has good timing and she has good preparation with (her) legs."
Li opened the second set with another break. In the second game, Schiavone earned her first break point of the match, but Li responded with an ace - her third of three in the match.
Schiavone did manage to break back to even the score at 4-4, but both held the rest of the way despite a contentious call in the 12th game.
Li hit a backhand that was originally called out, giving Schiavone a set point. But Li argued the call, and chair umpire Louise Engzell ruled the ball was in.
Li won the next point to even the set at 6-6, and then won all seven points in the tiebreaker.
"That ball was out," Schiavone said. "It was a big mistake. But it's up to the tournament and others to watch that match again and evaluate the call."
But no matter what is decided when the replays are watched, the name on the trophy will not change.
"Today is the dream come true," Li said. "Not so many player can win (a) Grand Slam."

Shuttler Arif in third round after injury to Takeshita

PETALING JAYA: National back-up squad shuttler Mohd Arif Abdul Latif claimed a lucky third-round appearance in the Thailand Open GP Gold tournament in Bangkok yesterday after his opponent was forced to retire due to injury.
Arif was leading 19-17 in a second-round match when Japanese youngster Riichi Takeshita decided to call it quits.
Earlier, the 22-year-old played his heart out to claim the biggest win of his career when he stunned eighth seed and world No. 19 Rajiv Ouseph of England 15-21, 21-16, 21-14.
Arif had hoped for a breakthrough in the Thai Open and he has got it with qualification for the third round, which is his best result thus far in an international tournament this year.
However, national elite shuttler Chong Wei Feng failed to make it to the third round. But he came close to scalping 13th seed Brice Leverdez of France.
Advancing: Mohd Arif Abdul Latif got the lucky break he wanted in the Bangkok Open and made it to the third round by default as injury forced his opponent Riichi Takeshita to concede a walkover Wednesday.
Wei Feng, who defeated compatriot and the nation’s top junior talent Zulfadli Zulkifli in an energy-sapping 53-minute match in the first round, simply ran out steam and was beaten 19-21, 22-20, 19-21 in 63 minutes.
Leverdez will play against top seed Chen Long of China for a place in the quarter-finals.
Three other Malaysians crashed out in the first round. They were Liew Daren, Chan Kwong Beng and Goh Soon Huat.
In mixed doubles, Voutus Indra Mawan-Woon Khe Wei, who barely made it into the main draw, were sent packing – losing to Indonesians Delynugraha Muhammad Rizky-Puspita Richi Dili 20-22, 19-21.
The national No. 2 mixed doubles pair of Ong Jien Guo-Sabrina Chong also failed to make the grade.
They were beaten 15-21, 18-21 by China’s Qiu Zihan-Bao Yixin.
RESULTS
* Matches involving Malaysians
QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT
Men’s doubles (second round): Liang Jui Wei-Liao Kuan Hao (Tpe) bt Voutus Indra Mawan-Mohd Lufti Zaim 21-10, 21-19.
Women’s singles (third round): Busanan Ongbumrungpan (Tha) bt Sannatasah Saniru 23-21, 19-21, 21-18.
MAIN DRAW
Men’s singles (first round): Chong Wei Feng bt Zulfadli Zulkifli 13-21, 21-16, 21-12; Mohd Arif Abdul Latif bt Rajiv Ouseph (Eng) 15-21, 21-16, 21-14; Riichi Takeshita (Jpn) bt Liew Daren 21-18, 21-13; Sukamta Evert (Ina) bt Goh Soon Huat 21-19, 16-21, 21-19; Mohd Hafiz Hashim bt Shon Wan-ho (Kor) 18-21, 24-22, 21-19; Kuan Beng Hong bt Hsuan Lin-chia (Tpe) 21-11, 21-15; Wong Choong Hann bt Viktor Axelsen (Den) 21- 18, 21-12; Chun Shih Kuei (Tpe) bt Beryno Wong 18-21, 21-12, 21-14; Wen Kai (Chn) bt Lok Chong Chieh 21-12, 21-14.
Mixed doubles (first round): Delynugraha Muhammad Rizky-PuspitaRichi Dili (Ina) bt Voutus Indra Mawan-Woon Khe Wei 22-20, 21-19; Qiu Zihan-Bao Yixin (Chn) bt Ong Jien Guo- Sabrina Chong 21-15, 21-18; Kim Ki-jung-Jung Kyung-eun bt Mohd Razif Abdul Latif-Amelia Alicia Anscelly 21-16, 21-16.
Men’s singles (second round): Arif bt Riichi Takeshita (Jpn) 19-17, rtd; Brice Leverdez (Fra) bt Chong Wei Feng 21-19, 20- 22, 21-19.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Lin Dan: I want to emulate Peter Gade

Lin Dan wants to be China’s Peter Gade Christensen.
The Olympic and three-time world champion hopes to emulate the Dane to continue playing even at the age of 34.
“My next goal is to become China’s Peter Gade because I really hope to play until I am 35-years-old. I hope that more young players from China can learn from Peter and stay active for a long time in the sport,” Lin Dan said after his win over the Dane in the final tie of the Sudirman Cup here last Sunday.
The 27-year-old shuttler had said that he was learning to enjoy playing badminton after his success in 2008 Beijing Olympics and was looking forward to defending the title in the London Games next year.
When he was told that Lin Dan was inspired to follow his path, Gade Christensen laughed and offered some advice.
“I am proud that I can still be at the top today,” he said.
“Lin Dan and (Lee) Chong Wei are really tough players to compete against and I have to do my utmost best in my everyday’s practice. I hope that Lin Dan will still be around for a few years more.”
The Dane added that he respected Lin Dan very much as the Chinese shuttler was a complete player and perhaps the best player who ever played the game.
“He has the kind of character that I like. He is not truly confident.
“You can see he’s got the mental feeling, which is good for him. But sometimes it makes him a bit vulnerable and I like that about him,” he said.
During the Sudirman Cup, Gade Christensen revealed that this would be his final series after having represented Denmark for more than 15 years.
Chong Wei and Lin Dan also hinted that they may not feature in the next edition in 2013.

Arif hoping for change of fortunes in Thailand

Mohd Arif Abdul Latif and China’s Chen Long have experienced contrasting fortunes after their first encounter in the Asian junior championships in 2007.
While Chen Long has gone on to win Super Series titles and is currently ranked fourth in the world, the Malaysian is still struggling to get far in a Grand Prix Gold tournament.
But the world No. 98 hopes that his fortune will change, starting with the Thailand GP Gold, which will be held in Bangkok from June 7-12.
No there yet: Mohd Arif Abdul Latif is stil strugling to get far in a Grand Prix Gold tournament.
“I lost (21-18, 18-21, 20-22) to Chen Long in the final of the Asian Juniors and I remember giving him a tough fight. It was my best achievement in the championships,” said Arif.
“I have been left behind since then, mostly because of my own mistakes. However, I have made a lot of improvement since coming under the charge of Hendrawan. I am physically stronger and I am able to show better strategy in my game.”
Arif is currently the top ranked shuttler in the national back-up squad.
In fact, over the last one year, he has beaten four elite shuttlers – Tan Chun Seang, Chong Wei Feng, Liew Daren and Chan Kwong Beng – in local tournaments.
“Chen Long will be at the Thailand GP Gold as the top seed. It will be great if I can achieve a good result there. Ultimately, I hope to win at least one GP Gold title by end of the year,” he said.
Arif is in the same quarter as Chen Long together with three other Malaysians – Daren, Goh Soon Huat and Wei Feng.
He has a tricky first-round match against England’s Rajiv Ouseph, who has shown the ability to make life difficult for top players on his good day.
China have a relatively strong line-up for the men’s singles. Also in the fray are world champion Chen Jin, Wang Zhengming, Lu Yi and Wen Kai.
Indonesia and Japan have listed all their back-up shuttlers. South Korea will be banking on Park Sung-hwan, Lee Hyun-il and Shon Wan-ho while Thailand have second seed Boonsak Ponsana as their top contender for the title.

Chong Wei, Koo and Tan excused from SEA Games

Lee Chong Wei’s wish to stay out of the Indonesia SEA Games has been granted.
In fact, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) have also decided not to send their top men’s pair, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, for the biennial Games scheduled for Nov 11-25.
Yesterday, BAM secretary Ng Chin Chai echoed Chong Wei’s sentiments on giving the younger players a shot at proving themselves in the regional Games.
“The BAM have made plans to expose a newer group of players for the Games. We will name the squad at least three months before the Games,” he said.
“All the players under the Road to London programme – Chong Wei, Koo and Tan – will focus on their preparation for the Olympics.”
With the BAM’s decision, a keen competition is expected to take place among the back-up shuttlers to prove their worth to earn selection for the SEA Games.

BAM to provide huge monetary boost to states to develop grassroots players

China have again showed that they are in their own league by nailing the Sudirman Cup for the eighth time.
And Malaysia believe that a huge monetary boost of RM1.6mil into their development programme soon will help to bridge the gap in standard with China.
For the future: Chin Chai wants to create a strong talent base.
Yesterday, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) secretary, Ng Chin Chai, announced of their big plans to restore their grassroots programme, which will see the states playing a bigger role in nurturing players.
“It will not be too wrong to say that Malaysia are 10 years behind China. It will take years of effort, a strong base of talent and lots of money for us to catch up with them,” said Chin Chai.
“But the good news is that grand plans are in the pipeline for us to strengthen our state programmes. This will ensure us to have steady flow of talent coming through to the national set-up.
“The National Sports Council (NSC) currently give us RM1mil for the state programmes. Now, the BAM will top it up with another RM1.6mil.
“A state will now get about RM200,000 instead of RM30,000 annually from us. The monetary boost will help them regulate their programmes for the players aged between 10 and 18-years-old. We will revive badminton competitions in schools.
“The BAM’s development committee, as the central authoritative body, will coordinate all the state development programmes. We need good implementors and we are also investing on producing good coaches to complement the state programmes. We are serious in creating a wider base.”
The new multi-million ringgit programmes will be unveiled as soon as BAM officially signs a lucrative sponsorship deal.
On the performances of Malaysia in the just concluded world mixed team championships in Qingdao, Chin Chai, who is also the coaching and training committee chairman, said that the team did reasonably well.
Malaysia were eliminated by South Korea in the quarter-finals, losing the tie 2-3.
“South Korea have reached the semi-finals in every edition of the Sudirman Cup. It is encouraging to see our team drag them down to the wire. It was a good experience for some of our first timers, among them Tee Jing Yi and Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying,” he said.
Chin Chai agreed that if the Sudirman Cup was used as a yardstick, the China players will be the main title contenders in all the events at the next major championships – the world meet in London from Aug 8-14.
In the men’s singles, Lin Dan will still be the favourite to win a fourth world title. At the moment, Malaysia’s world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei is seen as the only player who is able to turn the tables on Lin Dan.
China, however, are the overwhelming favourites to win the women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles titles.
And if veterans Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng can stay on top of their game, a fourth world title is a possibility for them.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Jing Yi serves up a point in Malaysia’s win over Russia

Youngster Tee Jing Yi passed her first test as the country’s No. 1 women’s singles shuttler in the Sudirman Cup world mixed team championship tie against Russia in Qingdao yesterday.
The 20-year-old overcame early jitters to beat Anastasia Prokopenko 21-17, 21-13 and Malaysia went on to overcome Russia 4-1 in their opening tie in Group B.
It was Jing Yi’s first major tournament as the top ranked Malaysian women’ singles player and she was selected ahead of her senior, Lydia Cheah, whose world ranking has dropped due to injury.
Flying start: Tee Jing Yi defeated Russia’s Anastasia Prokopenko 21-17, 21-13.
Hopes are high on Jing Yi to fill the void left by Wong Mew Choo, who is now a coach at the Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS).
Besides Jing Yi’s win, the points in the victory over Russia came from Lee Chong Wei, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty.
But Eei Hui-Pei Tty, however, took three games to beat Valeria Sorokina-Nina Vislova made their lives difficult before prevailing with wins over Vladimir Ivanov-Ivan Sozonov 21-12, 19-21, 21-15.
The defeat for Malaysia came in the opening mixed doubles match in which Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying found Alexandr Nikolaenko-Valeria Sorokina tough nuts to crack and went down fighting 19-21, 18-21.
Malaysia will take on Indonesia tomorrow and a win will take them them into the quarter-finals as the group winners.

BJSS boys singled out

The just concluded 100Plus National Junior Circuit Grand Prix Finals was seen as the platform to showcase the next badminton talent in the country.
And there were good potential in Jagdish Singh-Low Juan Shen (boys’ doubles), Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean (girls’ doubles) and Yang Li Lian (girls’ singles), who emerged as champions in the Under-18 competition. And girls’ Under-16 winner Sylvia Kavita Kumares showed that she is one to watch in the future.
However, these shuttlers come under the Bukit Jalil Sports School’s (BJSS) programme and much was expected of them.
Top pair: Chow Mei Kuan and Lee Meng Yean won the Under-18 doubles title in the National Junior Circuit Grand Prix Finals on Sunday.
In the boys’ singles department, the situation is a little more dire.
BJSS fielded eight players in the boys’ Under-18 singles and three of them did not even make the quarter-finals. And the winner, Zulfadli Zulkifli, is not a member of the national badminton set-up.
The 18-year-old Kuala Lumpur player’s win was made even more impressive as he beat a host of BJSS shuttlers, including Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayup in the final.
Zulfadli should join the national set-up because it will only serve to make him a better player. Even KL coach A. Sankar has the same opinion.
“Zulfadli is an incredibly talented player and only through a good training programme such as the BAM’s can he go far and fulfil his potential,” said Sankar.
However, Zulfadli played down the idea of joining the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).
“For now, I am satisfied with my training programme with KLRC (a professional badminton outfit) and there is no immediate plan to join the national set-up,” he said.
“My current goals are to play for Malaysia in the Asian Juniors (in July) and the World Juniors (in October). It doesn’t matter whether I am with the BAM or not because at the end of the day, I still have to give my best for the country.
“A reason for having the edge over the BJSS players is my participation in more international tournaments than them. The experience I gained helps make me a better player.”
However, Zulfadli said that he would not totally rule out joining the BAM.
“My long-term goal is to gain more world ranking because I want to play in an Olympics. It is an honour to don national colours and maybe being part of the BAM may improve my chances,” said Zulfadli, who is currently ranked at No. 188.
For the Asian Juniors, Zulfadli is certain to be one of the key players in the team. He did better than Azriyn and Goh Giap Chin in GP Finals and will be joining the national juniors for centralised training next month.
For the BAM though, all hope is not lost.
Azriyn and Giap Chin showed plenty of promise in the tournament last week and they can be counted on too to win honours in the Asian Juniors.
Malaysia have never won the singles title in the series with only two runner-up finishes by Mohd Arif Abdul Latif (2007) and Iskandar Zulkarnian Zainuddin (2009).
With Zulfadli leading the charge, the title duck could be broken. But whether he joins the BAM or not after that is left to be seen.
But as the BAM general manager, Kenny Goh, puts it: “The door is always open for him to join us because such a move will only be in the best interest for a player of his talent.”

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Mentally frail Saina loses to Wang Xin

Saina Nehwal admitted on Sunday she needs to be mentally stronger if she is to consistently beat the top Chinese players after falling to Wang Xin in the final of the YONEX SUNRISE Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold. It was Wang Xin's first win of the year and she dedicated it to her mother.
Saina and Wang Xin have been swapping places in the world ranking with the Chinese player now ranked one rung higher at No. 3.
After crumbling to a devastating 13-21, 21-8, 21-14 loss, Saina said: “I made too many mistakes in the match, especially in the second game. I was bothered by two line calls in the third game and paid the ultimate price. I should have kept my cool and it is a good lesson for me.”
A fiery Saina who, missed the PROTON Malaysia Open Superseries in January because of an ankle injury, took the opening game with a mixture of drops and well placed winners.
The second game was completely different as Wang Xin, who had won her previous two Open tournament matches against Saina, upped the pace to move her opponent all round the court.
Her speed and decisive smashes saw her take it 21-8 when Saina took it easy after losing seven points in a row from 8-9 to fall behind 8-16.
Hoping to capitalise on her “rest period” Saina began the decider more aggressively but Wang Xin kept up her momentum to close out the 48-minute match.
“This is the third time I’m losing to her but I thought I could beat here as I'm physically alright. My ankle is not a problem as it is taped up and I won’t use that as an excuse.
“In the second game, I was trailing 8-9 when she won seven points in a row, I took it easy as I wanted to take a breather and catch her in the decider but it nearly worked. 
“We were level at 14-14 when I sent two crosscourt shots into the net. From there Wang Xin took advantage to run away with the title.”
Wang Xin made up for losing the 2009 final by adding this year’s title to the PROTON Malaysia Open Superseries crown she won in 2010. Wang Xin took home US$9,480 while. Saina pocketed US$4,560.
The winner said: "This is my first in win of the year and I would like to dedicate it to my mother."

Maeda-Suetsuna take back-to-back championships

Japan’s Miyuki Maeda-Satoko Suetsuna defeated team mates Shizuka Matsuo-Mami Naito 21-18, 21-13 in 76 minutes to win the YONEX SUNRISE Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold in Alor Star on Sunday.
Final Miyuki Maeda-Sato Suetsuna 02Maeda-Suetsuna, who also won the YONEX SUNRISE India Open Superseries last week, had to battle hard against their opponents, whom they had faced twice previously.
Although they had lost to Matsuo-Naito in this year’s German Open Grand Prix quarter-finals, Maeda-Suetsuna remain undefeated against their team mates in finals, as they had also beaten them in the 2010 Denmark Superseries title decider.
It was a real battle royale with Matsuo-Naito showing great fighting spirit to comeback from an 11-3 deficit in the opening game before losing 21-18. Both pairs were engaged in long rallies which had the crowd at the Sultan Abdul Halim Stadium on their edge of their seats.
The second game followed the pattern of the first with Maeda-Suetsuna the early aggressors, charging to a 11-5 lead at the mid-game interval.
Once again Matsuo-Naito threatened a fight back but Maeda-Suetsuna had learnt their lessons from the opening game and put the brakes on to finish the game 21-13.
Final Shizuki Matsuo-Mami NaitoMaeda, who looked thoroughly exhausted, commented: “It was hard. Very, very tired. It is always the same between Japanese pairs. We know each other so well. I’m happy to have won the back-to-back titles.”

Chong Wei vows to keep on winning

Lee Chong Wei vowed to give hold on to his world No. 1 ranking until the Olympics next year after winning his third straight YONEX SUNRISE Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold crown and fifth title of the year.
The Malaysian, who entered Sunday’s final with victories in the VICTOR BWF Super Series Finals 2010 in Taiwan and PROTON Malaysia Open (January), YONEX All England Open Superseries Premier (March) and YONEX SUNRISE India Open Superseries last week. He was also runners-up at the VICTOR Korea Open four months ago.
Playing in front of Sultan Abdul Halim himself, Chong Wei continued his domination of Bao Chunlai, who he has now beaten 12 times in 16 meetings with his last loss coming in 2007. Chong Wei won 21-9, 21-19 to take home US$9,000 while Bao Chunlai walked away with US$4,560.
“I’m happy to have continued my winning streak this year. I want to maintain my No. 1 ranking until next year’s Olympics as it will be my last attempt to win the gold,” said Chong Wei, who had announced his intention to quit the sport after the London Games.
“I now go into every tournament feeling I can win them and I think that is a good mentality to have with the World Championships coming up in August.
“I have received some criticisms in the past regarding my failure to perform in the major tournaments and I have taken them on board. That is why it is good to continue winning as it gives me more confidence.”
The Malaysian, who was facing the wind in the first game of the final, attacked relentlessly as a bewildered Bao Chunlai had no answer to his shots.
Backed by the capacity crowd, Chong Wei rained in winners from all over the court to take the first game 21-9. It was a different story in the second as Chong Wei slowed the game down after making several errors, sending the shuttlecock long as he had trouble adjusting to the wind behind him.
He looked in trouble as Bao Chunlai took a 19-17 lead but Chong Wei dug deep to take the last four points.

Victory a big boost for Kien Keat-Boon Heong

ormer world No. 1s Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong finally ended a 16-month title drought in Open tournaments when they captured the YONEX SUNRISE Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold on Sunday and declared the win will give their fragile confidence a big boost.
Having failed to live up to expectations since winning the 2010 PROTON Malaysia Open Superseries last January, Kien Keat-Boon Heong has come in from much criticism.
However, the duo have never let it get them down and are finally glad to have returned to the winners’ circle with a 21-16, 21-7 victory over Indonesia’s Alvent Yulianto Chandra-Hendra Aprida Gunawan. 
“Although the victory was easier than expected (following an injury to Alvent), we are still satisfied with the win,” said a relieved Kien Keat.
“We will take a day’s rest before continuing with our training. Our next event is the Sudirman Cup at the end of the month and I will try my best to help the country get to the final.”
The Commonwealth Games gold took home the winners’ cheque for US$9,480 while the Indonesians had to be satisfied with US$4,560.
In a close first game, the Malaysians, with the winds at their back, played a smart tactical game to move the Indonesians all over the court before moving in for the kill.
The ploy worked to perfection as they carved out a 21-16 victory. In the second game, The Malaysians were more aggressive but didn’t have to work too hard after Alvent picked up his injury.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

China dump Chen Jin and Wang Lin


Reigning world champions Chen Jin and Wang Lin (pic) have been dropped from the China squad for the Sudirman Cup mixed team championships.
Chen Jin has been in poor form over the past six months while Wang Lin is still regaining full fitness following a ligament surgery last September.
China selected Lin Dan, Bao Chunlai and Chen Long for their men’s singles line-up for the championships in Qingdao from May 22-29.
With Wang Lin out, the women’s singles line-up has Wang Shixian, Wang Xin and Wang Yihan.
The men’s pairs in the team are veterans Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng and the younger Guo Zhendong-Chai Biao while Yu Yang-Wang Xiaoli and Zhao Yunlei-Tian Qing will be the women’s pairs.
For the mixed doubles China opted for Xu Chen-Ma Jin at the expense of Korean Open and Super Series Masters Finals champions Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei.
China chief coach Li Yongbo said that Lin Dan would play in all of his matches as it would help the Olympic and three-time world champion adjust his condition and find his best form on China’s road to retaining the title.
“We have not failed to defend the Sudirman Cup in the last three editions of the championships,” he said at a press conference last Saturday.
“But we faced tremendous difficulties in every match and basically 50% of the matches that we won were very close.
“We will have to be well prepared in the face of adversity, especially when playing against strong teams like Indonesia and Malaysia. We must prepare to the fullest.”
The China team left their base in Beijing for Qingdao on May 2 for their final preparations for the championships.

Chong Wei now on course to beat his career best nine titles


The fans adore him. The rivals look at him in awe. And the sponsors just love him.

World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei is enjoying his best years in badminton and with his determination to keep the hot run going for at least one more year, he may nail for Malaysia their first-ever title in the world championships and Olympics.

On Sunday, the 29-year-old Chong Wei captured the Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold title – his fifth this year and a 36th career Open title since he went on the international stage in 2002.

His career best season thus far was last year when he nailed a total of nine titles, including the Commonwealth Games individual gold medal. And he is on track to better the record this season.

The fans flock in droves wherever the megastar goes and his opponents have now rated him as a favourite title contender for the world championships in Wembley, London, from Aug 8-14 and also at the Olympics at the same venue next year.
Thanks for the support: Lee Chong Wei has already won five titles this year.

Chong Wei has also finally beaten his nemesis, Lin Dan of China, to nail a major title at the All-England last March.

Chong Wei is bringing joy but it should not cloud a really big fear in Malaysian badminton – the absence of quality men’s singles players coming through to challenge strongly on the international stage.

In the Malaysia Open GP Gold, the poor showing of four elite shuttlers – Tan Chun Seang, Liew Daren, Chan Kwong Beng and Chong Wei Feng – again showed the huge gulf in the standard between the country’s second stringers and Chong Wei.

Said national coach Rashid Sidek: “I have not seen any players as dedicated and as committed as Chong Wei.

“He may be a superstar now but he has not forgotten the basics – to work hard, to take care of his food intake and sleeping habits. He is respectful and has not let success get to his head.

“And my heart aches for the current group of players we have. They are not following in the footsteps of Chong Wei.”

Several back-up shuttlers like Goh Soon Huat, Mohd Arif Abdul Latif and Misbun Ramdan Misbun showed progress but whether they will be ready to take over the mantle when Chong Wei retires after the London Oly­mpic Games is a big question mark.

“They need more time,” says coach Hendrawan.

The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) will immediately shift their focus from Alor Setar to their emergency general meeting (EGM) on Saturday to appoint their second deputy president.

But instead of channelling their energy to internal politics, as it always has been, it is high time that they give more focus on the development programme of the game in the country or face the humiliation of serving in an association without quality players.

Thanks to Chong Wei, Maybank are coming in a big way as sponsors to piggy ride on his success and it is learnt that the corporate sector will be pumping in about RM5mil for the BAM’s programme.

The bulk of the money should go to the states to revive their grassroots programmes.

Promises have been made in the past that badminton in schools will get priority but sadly, it has all been an empty gong.

Malaysia certainly do not lack talent or enthusiastic youngsters hoping to make it big. But it is in the BAM neglecting state programmes and the transition group of players from the ages of 18 to 22 that are proving to be costly.

Drastic and radical changes are needed to develop and achieve excellence for Malaysian badminton. Otherwise, the fans and sponsors will be leaving the stage too after Chong Wei quits the game.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Coach Tat Meng leaves BAM to join Indonesian team

KUALA LUMPUR: National singles coach Misbun Sidek quit the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) recently. His controversial resignation has yet to be resolved.
Now another singles coach – Wong Tat Meng – is set to leave.
Tat Meng, who is currently coaching the women’s singles squad, is leaving BAM by the end of next month to take up a coaching offer with the Indonesian national team.
The 44-year-old coach, who was best known for guiding Wong Mew Choo to a sensational victory in the 2007 China Open, will join former national singles coach Li Mao of China at the national training centre in Cipayung there.
Tat Meng, who has served as the national team coach since 2006, is now set to become the first Malaysian to coach in Indonesia at the national level and BAM secretary Ng Chin Chai said his resignation should be viewed positively.
“Tat Meng wanted to move to greener pastures and he has submitted his resignation letter.
“Tat Meng will be around until end of March and will prepare Mew Choo for the All-England next month.
“It should be looked at positively as he can come back one day and become a better coach as what Tan Kim Her did,” said Chin Chai, referring to Kim Her, who was the first coach to venture outside the country to take up stints in South Korea and England before returning to the BAM fold.
Tat Meng, who quit as a player after failing to make the successful 1992 Thomas Cup squad, got his biggest break as a coach when he was named as the replacement for Li Mao ahead of the more famous Sidek brothers – Misbun and Rashid after the Chinese quit in early 2007.
It has not been decided yet as to who will replace Tat Meng as Chin Chai said they will keep their options open.
“We may have a reshuffle or we may look for a new coach outside,” said Chin Chai, who is also the coaching and training committee chairman.
The coaching and training committee meeting yesterday also decided that Lee Chong Wei and Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong will be exempted from the Indonesia SEA Games campaign at the end of this year.
“The Road to London Olympics campaign should be their main priority as Chong Wei and Kien Keat-Boon Heong should have no problems qualifying.
“We will also decide later whether the women’s doubles pair Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty will be exempted as well as much will depend on whether they have enough points to qualify for the London Olympics. It is easier for the singles players to qualify as it is a field of 32 compared to the doubles, which has only for 16 pairs,” he said.
Meanwhile, former national doubles pair Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen will be allowed to train with the national doubles squad in BAM twice a week.
Chin Chai said they have also agreed to take in part-time paid sparring partners.
“The women’s squad complained of lack of competitive sparring partners.
“The mix doubles department have also requested for Razif Latif-Chow Pak Chuu to come in as sparring partners.”

courtesy of the star


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Wang Shixian eyes third title of the year

Top seed Wang Shixian will look to add the prestigious YONEX All England Open Championships, the second OSIM BWF World Superseries Premier Tournament, to the two titles she has won this year.
Sf Wang ShixianShxian (right) claimed the first two titles in 2011 – the Super Series Finals in Taipei and the OSIM BWF World Superseries season opening Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur.
She also reached the final of the VICTOR Korea Open, which was the first OSIM BWF World Superseries Premier tournament, but lost to team mate Wang Yihan.
Shixian will start her campaign against Porntip Buranaprasertsuk, whom she defeated in the semi-finals of the Korea Open last month.
The YONEX All England Championships is among five Premier events in the 12-leg OSIM BWF World Superseries and offers a total prize money of USD350,000.
Shixian, who won two Superseries titles last year (Korea and Swiss Opens), has shown grown stronger in 2011 and will be determined to add badminton's oldest tournament to her collection.
Looking to stop her is Yihan, who also captured two titles in 2010, winning back-to-back tournaments in Denmark and France, and has consistently been in the top four.
Wang YihanYihan (left), however has a tough draw as defending champion and fourth seed Tine Baun of Denmark and India's Saina Nehwal, the fifth seed are in her half the draw, as is South Korea's Sung Ju Hyun.
The OSIM BWF World Superseries is a series of 12 tournaments, including five Premier competitions and will culminate with the season ending World Superseries Finals in December where the top eight players and pairs based on the Superseries Standings will qualify.
The OSIM BWF World Superseries, which has seen a drastic increase of prize money, kicked off with the Malaysia Open which offered USD400,000 in prize money despite its Superseries status and the Korea Open, a Premier event, which offered a record-breaking USD1.2 million in total prize money.
In the women’s doubles, Chinese Taipei’s Cheng Wen Hsing-Chien Yu Chin are the top seeds followed by Japan’s Satoko Suetsuna-Miyuki Maeda and China’s Yu Yang-Wang Xiaoli.
Cheng-Chien have only won one Superseries title and that was back in 2009 when they were winners in Korea. Since then, they have failed in the next 22 Superseries events and the odds are not stacked in their favour in Birmingham.
They VICTOR Korea Open champions Wang Xiaoli-Yu Yang of China in the semi-finals - if the make it that far as awaiting them in the quarter-finals is Indonesian pair Meiliana Jauhari-Greysia Polii who are seeded third.
The YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships begins at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham on 8 March

courtesy of bwf

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Gunning for revenge!

It’s payback time when the OSIM BWF World Superseries gets underway with its second Premier event – the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham, England.
Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei, the World No 1, will be out to turn the tables on three-time World champion Lin Dan of China.
In the men’s doubles, Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen from Denmark will also be out to exact revenge for their loss in the Korea Open final after they were drawn with Korea’s Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae in the same half of the draw. Lin DanLin Dan
China’s Wang Shixian will also be out to outwit teammate Wang Yihan for the third time in four outings this year in the women’s singles.
Shxian claimed the first two titles in 2011 – the Super Series Finals in Taipei and the OSIM BWF World Superseries season opening Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur, at the expense of Yihan but the latter stopped Shixian in the final of the Korea Open.
But gunning for Yihan will be Korea’s Sung Ji Hyun who fell to the Chinese in the semi-finals of the Korea Open and was reduced to tears after a disputed line call gave Yihan victory.
The OSIM BWF World Superseries enters its third tournament of its 12-leg series and will culminate with the season ending World Superseries Finals in December where the top eight players and pairs based on the Superseries Standings will qualify for the Finals.
But Chong Wei’s path is a tricky one with Indonesia’s Sony Dwi Kuncoro, Thailand’s Boonsak Ponsana, Denmark’s Peter Gade and China’s Chen Long all drawn in the same half of the draw.
Chong Wei opens his campaign against Japan’s Sho Sasaki.
Lin Dan, on the other hand, will have to contend with No 2 seed Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia in an expected showdown in the semi-final but the Indonesia will have to overcome China’s reigning world champion Chen Jin in the quarter-final first.

courtesy of bwf
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Chong Wei and Lin Dan to cross swords again

World No 1 Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan, arguably the best player of the decade, may cross swords as early as the semi-finals when the two players renew their rivalry in the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham, England.
After a five-week break, the OSIM BWF World Superseries resumes with the third leg of the Series with the YONEX All England Open.
The Championships is among five Premier events in the 12-leg OSIM BWF World Superseries and offers a total prize money of USD350,000.
The OSIM BWF World Superseries, which has seen a drastic increase of prize money, kicked off with the Malaysia Open which offered USD400,000 in prize money despite its Superseries status and the Korea Open, a Premier event, which offered a record-breaking USD1.2 million in total prize money. Jung Jae Sung-Lee Wong Dae celebrate winning
Chong Wei won the Malaysia Open when he defeated Indonesia’s Taufik Hidayat in the final while Lin Dan captured the Korea Open title when he beat Chong Wei in the final.
The Malaysian is seeded No 1 while Lin Dan is seeded No 3 and this could well mean that the two players, based on the draw, could end up in the same half of the draw.
Taufik is the No 2 seed in the men’s singles while Denmark’s Peter Gade is seeded No 4.
Rounding up the seeds for the men’s singles are China’s Chen Long (No 5) and Chen Jin (No 6), Vietnam’s Nguyen Tien Minh (No 7) and Thailand’s Boonsak Ponsana (No 8).
In the men’s doubles, Korea’s Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae, despite their No 3 ranking, will be out to win their second consecutive Premier title but will once again have to go up against a world class field comprising World No 1 Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (No 1), World No 2 Yoo Yeon Seong-Ko Sung Hyun (No 2) of Korea, Malaysia’s Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (No 5) and China’s world champions Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (No 6).
In the women’s singles, China’s depth is never more evident with the top three seeds coming from them in the form of the three Wangs – Wang Shixian, Wang Yihan and Wang Xin respectively.
Another Chinese player Jiang Yanjiao is the No 6 seed while India’s Saina Nehwal will be looking to make up for a disappointing outing in the Korea Open where she failed to make the quarter-finals. The Indian is the No 5 seed.
In the mixed doubles, Denmark’s Thomas Laybourn makes a return (with Kamilla Rytter Juhl) after missing the Malaysia Open and Korea Open due to a knee injury sustained at the Super Series Finals early this year.
The Danes are the No 2 seeds with China’s Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei given the top billing.
In the women’s doubles, it is surprisingly an open field with pairs from seven countries occupying the top eight ranking.
Chinese Taipei’s Cheng Wen Hsing-Chien Yu Chin are the top seeds followed by Japan’s Satoko Suetsuna-Miyuki Maeda and China’s Yu Yang-Wang Xiaoli.
The YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships begins at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham on 8 March.

courtesy of bwf

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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Chong Wei will not meet nemesis Lin Dan until the final

World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei will be sporting a big smile on his face as he plots the defence of his All-England title in Birmingham next month. Chong Wei’s hopes of retaining the title he won in the 100th edition of the tournament last year brightened considerably after the draw yesterday as he will not have to play his nemesis Lin Dan of China until the final.
The duo are currently a level above the rest of the field in the men’s singles game and world badminton fans will be relishing another opportunity to see a showdown between them at the prestigious tournament next month.
Third seeded Lin Dan is drawn in the bottom half and veteran Wong Choong Hann has the misfortune of meeting the reigning Olympic champion in the first round.
Lin Dan should play either Vietnam’s Nguyen Tien Minh, Denmark’s Jan Jorgensen or his countryman Du Pengyu for a place in the last four.
An all-Chinese semi-final affair could materialise with fellow compatriot and world champion Chen Jin of China, seeded sixth in the lower half.
But even Chen Jin may be upstaged by fast rising compatriot Wang Zhengming who has the potential to play spoiler.
The unseeded Zhengming opens his campaign against Park Sung-hwan of South Korea with the winner earning a second round clash against second seed Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia.
Chong Wei, on the other hand, has an easy first round match against Sho Sasaki of Japan.
Chong Wei, who just lifted his ninth national title on Monday, is slated to play against Bao Chunlai of China or Sony Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia next but should prevail if he plays to his true potential.
Thai Boonsak Ponsana awaits in the quarter-finals while either top Dane Peter-Gade Christensen or China’s Chen Long may be lining up against the Malaysian in the semi-finals.
Singles coach Rashid Sidek said Chong Wei has displayed superb consistency in the Super Series tournaments so far and hopes he can keep up the good momentum.
“The All-England, however, is a prestigious tournament and everyone wants to win it.
“Chong Wei will surely be out to live up to his billing by making the final again but every match will not be easy,” he said.
The All-England is the fourth Super Series meet for the year. Chong Wei had earlier won the Super Series Masters Finals in Taipei and went on to retain the Malaysian Open title.
However, he lost to Lin Dan in the Korean Open final and it remains to be seen whether Misbun Sidek, who has yet to come back to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) on whether he will change his mind and remain in the coaching fold, will make a trip to Birmingham to guide his star player.
The men’s doubles pair of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong will find it tough in their bid to regain the All-England title as they have to cross swords with Olympic champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan in the last eight.
The Indonesian pair are currently independent players but still manage to keep their good record against Kien Keat-Boon Heong as proved in the successful battle for the Asian Games gold medal last November.
It is little comfort for Kien Keat-Boon Heong as world champions Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun or second seeded South Korean pair Ko Sung-hyun-Yoo Yeon-seong stand in their way if they manage to beat the Indonesians.
Back-up pair Mak Hee Chun-Tan Wee Kiong play Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa of Japan and are in the same half of the draw with top seed and world No. 1 pair Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen.
Mohd Fairizizuan Mohd Tazari-Ong Soon Hock also made it to the main draw and earned a first round clash against eighth seeds Mohd Ahsan-Bona Septano of Indonesia.
In the women’s singles, Wong Mew Choo has a tough opening round against third seed Wang Xin of China.
If she creates a big upset, Mew Choo will face another Chinese hurdle next in either Lu Lan or Jiang Yanjiao.

courtesy of the star

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Olympics-Malaysia turn to science for golden breakthrough

Feb 18 (Reuters) - Malaysia's sports officials have opted for the appliance of science in their quest to achieve the country's first Olympic gold medal in London next year.
The National Sports Institute (NSI) has brought in 46 sports science specialists under their "Road to London 2012" programme, Malaysian media reported.
The seven sports to receive the high-tech support are badminton, soccer, cycling, archery, diving, shooting and hockey.
NSI director-general Ramlan Aziz said that the scientists would be responsible for tailoring their expertise for the individual needs of Malaysia's elite athletes.
Malaysian officials will invest in the specialised programme to improve conditioning, psychology, bio-mechanics, match analysis, dietician and technical support.
"It depends on the quota set by organisers for the London Olympics," he told Malaysia's Bernama news agency, referring to the number of specialists who will travel to the 2012 Games.
"The more Malaysian athletes eligible to compete, the more specialists we can bring along with out contingent. The need for sports science specialists for each sporting event varies."
Badminton alone will be allocated no fewer than 14 specialists, with the rest divided equally among the other six sports, Aziz added.

courtesy of reuters


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Depleted SGS Seals 2nd Victory In Super League


The absence of Lee Chong Wei and a loss by Indonesian legend Taufik Hidayat did not stop SGS PLN from notching up its second victory in the men’s division of the Djarum Badminton Super League. (File Photo)


SGS is considered the favorite to win the men’s title, but Tangkas immediately put a dent on its rival’s reputation when Vietnam’s Nguyen Tien Minh beat world No. 2 Taufik Hidayat 21-15, 21-15 in the first match. “I wasn’t feeling well even before the game, and it carried over when I played against Nguyen. Not to take anything away from Nguyen. He played very well,” Taufik said.

The men’s pair of Hendri Kurniawan Saputra and Chayut Triyachart leveled the score with their 21-16, 21-17 victory over Gan Tek Chai and Tan Bin Shen.

Tangkas took the driver’s seat again when Simon Santoso beat Alamsyah Yunus 21-11, 21-15 in the second singles match.

The tie was knotted at 2-2 when Hendra Aprida Gunawan and Flandy Limpele claimed a 21-13, 21-18 win over Nova Widianto and Devin Lahardi Fitriawan, before Tommy’s 21-10, 21-12 rout of Ary Trisnanto sealed SGS’s second win in as many games.

SGS opened the Rp 1.3 billion competition with a 4-1 win over Mutiara Bandung on Sunday.

It has managed to stay among the leaders despite missing Lee Chong Wei’s services. SGS signed the world No. 1 from Malaysia for this week’s tournament but has yet to arrive in Surabaya.

“He is still competing in Malaysia right now, but he will join us this week,” said Taufik, who is also SGS’s vice chairman.

For Tangkas, it was its first defeat in three ties after winning 4-1 over Musica and 5-0 over Jaya Raya Jakarta on Sunday.

Despite Monday’s loss, Tangkas still leads the men’s table, followed by SGS.

In another men’s tie, Djarum fell to a second straight defeat as itlost 3-2 to Musica Champions.

Djarum’s woes continued in the women’s division, when it fell 3-2 to Mutiara Bandung.

Cheng Shao-chieh gave Mutiara the first point with her 17-21, 21-17, 21-15 win over Maria Febe Kusumastuti. But Djarum turned the tables by racking two consecutive wins courtesy of Meiliana Jauhari and Komala Dewi, who beat Tiara Rosalia and Geby Ristiani 22-20, 21-15, and Fransiska Ratnasari, a 21-12, 21-13 winner over Chiang Pei Shin.

Suci Rizki Andini and Dwi Agustiawati leveled the score for Mutiara with a 21-13, 9-21, 21-14 defeat of Shendy Puspa Irawati and Jenna Gozali, before Hera Desiana secured Mutiara’s victory with 17-21, 21-19, 21-19 win over Febby Angguni.

The top four in each of the men’s and women’s divisions will advance to the semifinals.

Arundhati and Guru Sai Dutt bag badminton titles




Arundhati Pantawane of Maharashtra defeated P.C. Thulasi 14-21, 21-17, 21-15 in the women's badminton final of the Jharkhand National Games at the Thakur Vishwanath Shahdeo Indoor Stadium here on Monday.
R.M.V. Guru Sai Dutt of Andhra Pradesh justified his favourite tag, defeating Aditya Prakash (Karnataka) 16-21, 21-10, 21-18 in exactly one hour to bag the men's gold.
Making unforced errors and playing well only in patches, Arundhati never looked like closing out the match.
In the first game, there were very few good points and many unforced errors from both players. However, at 15-all, Arundhati started attacking with venom and hit down-the-line smashes and crosscourt winners. Thulasi didn't have an answer to any of them.
In the men's summit clash, Guru, an attacking player by instinct, exploited the defensive play of his opponent.
In the decider, Aditya made many unforced errors from the backcourt and at the net. Trailing 7-11, Aditya came back strongly and even made it 18-20, but Guru closed out the match on his second match point with a forehand cross-court winner.

TN women in final

In basketball, Tamil Nadu women entered the final with a facile 89-61 win over Maharashtra. However, Tamil Nadu men lost to Punjab 67-59 in the semifinals.
In the hockey semifinals to be held on Wednesday, Haryana women will meet Services while Jharkhand takes on MP. 

In the men's section, Jharkhand meets Maharashtra and Services will clash with Punjab.
The results: Badminton (finals): Men (singles): Guru Sai Dutt (AP) bt Aditya Prakash (Kar) 16-21, 21-10, 21-18; Doubles: Arun Vishnu & Alwin Francis (Ker) bt Aksha Dewalkar & Jishnu Sanyal (Mah) 21-12, 26-24; 

Women (singles): Arundhati Pantawane (Mah) bt P.C. Thulasi (Ker) 14-21, 21-17, 21-15; Doubles: Sikki Reddy & P. Jyotsna (AP) bt Pradnya Gadre & S. Sahasrabudhe (Mah) 21-16, 21-18. 

World No. 1 takes it easy against Arif in final

Lee Chong Wei was magnanimous in his win over Mohd Arif Abdul Latif in the men’s singles final of the National Circuit Grand Prix Finals yesterday. The world number one held back his game before stamping his mark to win 21-15, 21-16 in 35 minutes.
The win yesterday marked the ninth national title for Chong Wei, who will quickly shift his focus on defending his All-England title which starts on March 3-8 in Birmingham.
Arif, who has shown tremendous improvement since training under coach Hendrawan, tried to take the fight to the world number one.
But it was apparent that Chong Wei allowed the youngster to be in the game as he did play his usual blistering pace.
“I gave him some chance in the game just to keep his desire to play alive. It should be a good learning experience for him and I can see that he has vastly improved,” said Chong Wei.
Chong Wei last met Arif in the Perak Open semi-finals, where Chong Wei won 21-16, 21-8 in 23 minutes.
“I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to play Chong Wei today and I learned a lot from him,” said Arif.
“I know that I still lack the speed and strength and I will work on my weaknesses after this. I’m also more confident in my game as I’m regularly beating elite players now.”
Meanwhile, Tee Jing Yi managed to defend her women’s singles title despite a strong challenge from Sonia Cheah.
Jing Yi had to dig deep into her reserves before winning 14-21, 21-15, 21-14.
“I really wanted to defend my title this year and that piled the pressure on me,” said Jing Yi.
“But I found my game back to win the match.”
In the men’s doubles competition, a new champion was installed after Hoon Thien How-Tan Boon Heong defeated Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Ong Soon Hock 21-14, 10-21, 21-19 in a lengthy final match that lasted 51 minutes.
In the mixed doubles action, top seed Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying once again played bridesmaid in the GP Finals after losing to Boon Heong-Chin Eei Hui 13-21, 21-18, 21-16.
Peng Soon-Liu Ying, who lost to Fairuzizuan-Wong Pei Tty in the final in Johor Baru last year, was oozing with confidence when they took the first set from Boon Heong-Eei Hui in a commanding show.
However, experience came through for Boon Heong-Eei Hui in the end to seal the match despite strong resistance from Peng Soon-Liu Ying in the second and third sets.
In the women’s doubles, second seed Ng Poau Leng-Woon Khe Wei beat Chong Sook Chin-Goh Liu Ying 21-18, 21-10 to win the title.

courtesy of the star

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