TheStar KELANA JAYA: There could be contrasting fortunes for the Hashim brothers – Roslin and Hafiz – in the six-star Korean Open from Jan 25-30, the season opener of the World Grand Prix Badminton Circuit this year. The 30-year-old Roslin is making a comeback after five months of inaction since his second round defeat to Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro at the Athens Olympic Games in August. And a rusty Roslin may find the going tough in the Korean Open. The meet is expected to draw all the top players in the world, who are in a hurry to collect valuable points before this year's World Championships in Los Angeles in August. The qualifying season for the world meet will end in May. While many have given up hope on the veteran, Roslin has not allowed self-doubt to settle in. “I was nursing a heel injury after the Athens Games. But now, my condition in training is good. Usually, it is difficult to make a strong comeback after a long break especially in a tournament like the Korean Open, where all the top guns will be present,†said Roslin. “But I am not planning to lose early. It is important to get a good start in Korean Open in my bid to qualify for the world meet. After skipping so many tournaments last year, my ranking can drop further if I do not get good results.†Roslin is currently ranked 18th in the world. The Nusa Mahsuri shuttler admitted that it was getting harder to keep pace with the younger players. But the achievement of Denmark's Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen, who won the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games at the age of 33, has inspired Roslin to keep going. “I was struggling to play against them (youngsters like Lin Dan (China), Bao Chunlai (China) and Sony over the last one year. Hopefully, this year, I will be able to match their pace. If I continue to struggle, then I guess I will slowly stop playing competitively. I may then venture into coaching for my club,†added Roslin. While Roslin's comeback does not look very promising, his younger brother Hafiz has been slowly showing sign of strong return after a one-year of struggle since winning the All-England crown in 2003. The 22-year-old Hafiz reached the semi-finals of the Singapore Open in November last year. It was his first semi-final appearance since becoming the first Malaysian in 37 years to lift the coveted All-England trophy in February, 2003. Hafiz is currently ranked behind Lee Chong Wei in terms of current performances in the country. With his determination to qualify for his first world meet tournament, Malaysia can expect a good showing from Hafiz in the Korean Open. Only Hafiz and Roslin are currently confirmed for the Korean Open. The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) will name their men's singles cast for the first tournament of the year tomorrow.
