Frustrating end: Ong Yew Sin (left) and Teo Ee Yi react after losing to Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi in the Malaysian Open quarter-finals.
PETALING JAYA: Professional coach Rosman Razak has to find other ways to succeed in his mission to guide shuttlers Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi to the Paris Olympics.
Rosman’s charges Yew Sin-Ee Yi were dealt a setback in their bid to qualify for the men’s doubles competition in the Olympics after a passport error forced the duo to withdraw from the Indian Open which gets underway today in New Delhi.
Ee Yi wrongly used his old passport in the online visa application and was prevented from entering India.
The 30-year-old was forced to return to Malaysia after failing to get past the Indian immigration yesterday.
“It’s difficult for me to come up with a solution (for Yew Sin-Ee Yi) for now,” said Rosman.
Missing the Indian Open will be costly as the duo are chasing after valuable Olympic points and Rosman has to look for alternatives to make up for competing in one fewer tournament.
Rosman and Yew Sin were left behind in New Delhi as Ee Yi failed to clear the immigration. They now have to make a quick decision to reunite so that they can start training together.
“Unfortunately, this happened and I need to think of what to do next but I’m hoping for a good solution,” said Rosman.
Being the professionals, the team had to make all the arrangements on their own and mistakes were bound to happen.
World No. 12 Yew Sin-Ee Yi now face a tough battle to make the cut for the Olympics as they need to break into the top eight before the qualifying period ends in April.
The pair need to do well in both the Indonesian Masters (Jan 23-28) in Jakarta and Thailand Masters (Jan 30-Feb 4) in Bangkok to reignite their chances.
Meanwhile, in Yew Sin-Ee Yi’s absence, Malaysia’s best hope in the Indian tourney are world No. 4 Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik.
Aaron-Wooi Yik have a tricky opening match against Japan’s world No. 14 Akira Koga-Taichi Saito but the duo have vowed to put their disappointment of losing in the quarter-finals at home to give a better showing.
World No. 19 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun have a difficult task against Indonesia’s world No. 6 Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto in the first round while Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani should have no problems getting past unheralded Canadians Adam Dong-Nyl Yakura.
In the men’s singles, pro player Lee Zii Jia will face Canada’s Brian Yang as the sole Malaysian representative as world No. 15 Ng Tze Yong has been sidelined due to a back injury.
National No. 1 women’s singles shuttler Goh Jin Wei face Thailand’s Supanida Katethong in the first round while Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah and Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien will play Taiwan’s Lee Chia-hsin-Teng Chun-hsun and Annie Xu-Kerry Xu of the United States respectively in the women’s doubles.
Mixed doubles pairs Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie and Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing will also be in action.
