TheStar KUALA LUMPUR: Shuttler Mohd Hafiz Hashim has been cleared to play a key role for Malaysia in the Sudirman Cup world mixed team championship, which begin in Beijing on Tuesday. The Malaysian team will be leaving for the championship on Sunday and there had been concern that Hafiz, who has been nursing an ankle injury sustained in the Japan Open last month, would not be fit enough to see action. Hafiz suffered the injury in the third round match against Kenneth Jonassen. He had lost the first game 14-17 and was level at 8-8 before he conceded a walkover. HAFIZ:Was forced to skip the Kedah Open two weeks ago due to the ankle injury. He was forced to skip the Kedah Open two weeks ago because of the injury. However, national singles coach Misbun Sidek said that Hafiz would not be excluded from the squad for the Sudirman Cup. “I am really satisfied with his recovery rate and the progress he has made in training over the past one week,” said Misbun. “I am preparing him on areas like skills and attack. He is back in full training but has yet to undergo actual match-play situations. “From the way he is coping in training, I believe he is eager to be back on the court by the time the team starts their campaign in Beijing. “He did not take part in the Kedah Open because I wanted to give him ample time to rest his body. “He has taken part in five tournaments prior to that and body fatigue must have set in at one point,” added Misbun. Hafiz, who won back-to-back titles in Switzerland and Thailand before the Japan Open, is still strapped up but his fitness readiness stood up in a physical skills test yesterday. The 23-year-old Hafiz can look forward to helping national number one singles player and Kedah Open champion Lee Chong Wei shoulder the duties to play the men's singles match. Seasoned campaigner Wong Choong Hann is the third singles player but he is also expected to feature in the doubles. Choong Hann replaced the injured Choong Tan Fook two weeks ago and is likely to pair up with either Chan Chong Ming or Koo Kien Keat in Beijing. The experienced Choong Hann is also an option to be considered for the mixed doubles. The women in the team are singles players Wong Mew Choo and Julia Wong and doubles shuttlers Chin Eei Hui, Wong Pei Tty and Fong Chew Yen. Malaysia are playing in Group A of Division Two, which comprises Holland, Taiwan and Russia. They will be aiming to earn promotion to Division One and the spot to the top flight will be decided in a playoff between the winners of the two-group Division Two. Group B of Division Two comprises Japan, Singapore, Germany and Ukraine. The Beijing-bound team will play a friendly match against the national trainees at the Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara today.
