The Star Online > Sports Thursday September 16, 2004[size=+2]New pairs on a mission to impress Kim Hock[/size] BY LIM TEIK HUAT PETALING JAYA: All eyes will be on the men’s doubles competition at the Malacca Badminton Open championships starting today, with three new pairs facing a baptism of fire at the Malacca BA Hall. The newly formed doubles pairs – Koo Kien Keat-Chan Chong Ming, Gan Teik Chai-Chew Choon Eng and Choong Tan Fook-Ong Soon Chiang – have been entered for the Open and will be looking to make an early impression on their coach Yap Kim Hock before stepping to a bigger stage. Kien Keat-Chong Ming, tipped to shoulder the country’s challenge at the next Olympics in four years’ time, are the second seeds and will open their campaign against Au Kok Leong-Koo Chung Chiat today. THE FAVOURITES: While Wong Choong Hann (left) is tipped to win the men's singles title, Woon Sze Mei is fancies to lift the women's singles crown in the Malacca Open Badminton Championships, which begin Thursday. Teik Chai-Choon Eng should also have no problems advancing against Mohd Hafiz Shahruddin-Tan Chun Seang while the third scratch combination of Tan Fook-Soon Chiang meet Azrihanif Azahar-Mohd Shafiq Jamaluddin. Chong Ming and Choon Eng played together at the Olympics in Athens but parted ways after that. As for Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah, the other pair at the Olympics, Kim Hock has decided to only field them for international competitions. Wan Wah is skipping the Malacca Open because he has to compete for his employers in the inter-bank championships. Kim Hock said that with the national players barred from taking part in international meets for the time being, there should be no holding back in the Malacca Open. “The doubles competition will be quite open. I have partnered the juniors with the seniors to give them a better chance to improve faster. “I have not set any targets for any of the new pairs. Just let them forge a stronger partnership first. I will be happy if any of them go on to win the title.†Two other doubles pairs with a shot at winning the title are Malaysian Open semi-finalists Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon Hock, the top seeds, and newly crowned Singapore Satellite winners Mohd Fairuzizuan-Lin Woon Fui. With the national players only expected to return to action for the China Open in Nov 9-14, the Malacca Open will also see an interesting battle taking place in the men’s singles competition. The situation has benefited the local organisers as they are assured of a strong field, with only Roslin Hashim and Lee Tsuen Seng not taking part. Olympians Wong Choong Hann and Lee Chong Wei will no doubt have a lot to prove after their disappointments in Athens. On paper, Choong Hann and Chong Wei should justify their respective first and second seedings by making it to the final. However, Choong Hann’s bid for a first title this year will come under threat when he advances to the semi-finals, where he will probably meets former All-England champion Mohd Hafiz Hashim. Yeoh Kay Bin, who under-performed in the Singapore Satellite, may find himself out of the national team if he fares poorly. Kay Bin is slated to meet Beng Hong in the quarter-finals. In the absence of Wong Mew Choo, who is undergoing rehabilitation for her injuries, Woon Sze Mei is the early favourite for the women’s singles title while Olympians Wong Pei Tty-Chun Ee Hui should have no trouble picking up the women’s doubles title.
