TheStar SINGAPORE: SEA Games champion Wong Mew Choo's shock defeat by 15-year-old China-born Singaporean Gu Juan in the first round of the Singapore Open qualifying tournament has in no way affected the player's preparations for the World Championships in August. Chief coach Yap Kim Hock has received an initial report from Mew Choo's coach Wong Tat Meng but prefers to have a talk with the player to find out the real cause. The 21-year-old Mew Choo, who was beaten 6-11, 11-3, 11-4, left for home yesterday morning to prepare for the Malaysian Open, which will be played in Kuala Lumpur next week. “She needs to train harder for the Malaysian Open. That is why we sent her back immediately so that she can start training. The rest after the Sudirman Cup in China probably has a part to play in her defeat here,” said Kim Hock. Last year, Mew Choo took a nine-month break from badminton to recover from a nagging knee injury. However, she came back in style and played a big role to help Malaysia gain promotion to Division One of the Sudirman Cup world mixed team championships. “I was told by Tat Meng that she was under pressure to perform in Singapore ... she was up against a young girl who had nothing to lose,” said Kim Hock. “Her defeat is a surprise for us. But there is no cause for alarm. I am confident she will be ready to face the challenges in the World Championships.” Mew Choo's failure to make the main draw left only one Malaysia woman in the fray. And M. Sutheaswari's challenge ended in the first round yesterday. She was beaten 7-11, 2-11 by Japanese qualifier Yu Hirayama.
hahaha i wondered wat is in his mind now that all malaysian players crashed out none in q-finals! i think only 1 women double got it. anyway, after the match today, saw him outside the stadium making emergency call..haah perhaps he is scare of losing his job as head coach of msia now
Well, IMHO, as the head coach he needs to project an aura of confidence about his players in public and in front of the media. He could hardly have stomped out of the stadium with his head in his hands, could he? His players, Mew Choo in particular, would've been devastated. Now, what he tells his players in private back in the training centre away from the media, that's a whole different matter.
