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Tuesday July 22, 2008

Malaysia still struggling to produce young singles stars

By RAJES PAUL

KUALA LUMPUR: The just concluded Asian Junior Badminton Championships showed that Malaysia are still scrapping the barrel as far as producing quality singles players are concerned.

Only Mohd Syawal Mohd Ismail brought some cheer when he defeated top seed Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk of Thailand in the fourth round. But the 17-year-old ran out of steam against China’s Gao Huan in the quarter-finals.

Tough road ahead: Mohd Syawal Mohd Ismail needs to improve his fitness level when he moves up the ranks.

Syawal has the talent but he has to first work on his level of fitness when he moves up the rank into the Project 2010-2012 squad next year. No other singles player stood out and this continues to be a major concern for Malaysian badminton.

In fact, singles players have switched to doubles play because they could not keep up with the pace set by young talent from China and South Korea.

And Teo Kok Siang is an example. The 18-year-old had fired blanks as a singles player in the previous two Asian Juniors.

The coaches felt that he was the best player to form a partnership with experienced doubles shuttler Mak Hee Chun. They went on to claim the boys’ doubles title on Sunday.

Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) chief coach Sun Chenhua said that Malaysia would continue to bank on their doubles pairs to win honours at the World Juniors in Pune, India, in November.

“It will probably take another two years for Malaysia to challenge strongly for honours in the singles at junior level,” he said.

“I am happy with the doubles. I must thank Rexy (Mainaky, the national doubles chief coach) for his support. Our juniors sometimes get a chance to spar with his players. He works with our doubles coach Jeremy (Gan) and gives us a lot of ideas.”

Chenhua added that the target at the World Juniors was a final appearance in either the boys’ doubles or mixed doubles. Last year, Malaysia won the mixed doubles title through Lim Khim Wah-Ng Hui Lin.

“Hee Chun-Kok Siang will be our best bet. I may also field Kok Siang in the singles but it depends on his fitness level. Maybe, it will be good just to concentrate on only one event. I will decide later.”

In the mixed doubles, the hope will be on Hee Chun-Vivian Hoo. The duo did well to win the solitary point for Malaysia in a 1-3 defeat by South Korea in the mixed team semi-finals of the Asian Juniors.

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