MALAYSIA's hopes on Wong Mew Choo winning a gold medal in the SEA Games badminton competition has taken a severe blow. The top women's singles shuttler is down with a recurring knee injury and she has been ruled out of the team competition. And her participation in the individual event, where she is the top seed, now hangs in the balance. The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) general manager, Kenny Goh, said yesterday that the injury to Mew Choo was serious. "She is certainly out of the team event (which begins on Saturday). But we will wait for a report from the NSI (National Sports Institute) before making a decision on her participation in the individual event (next week),” he said. The 24-year-old Mew Choo aggravated the injury en route to a sensational victory at the China Open in Guangzhou last month where she chalked up victories over the world's top players three players from China – Xie Xingfang, Zhang Ning and Zhu Lin. It was her first ever win over the Olympic champion Zhang Ning and reigning world champion Zhu Lin. And she was also the only second non-China player to win the China Open women's singles title. Coach Wong Tat Meng said that the 2003 Vietnam SEA Games gold medallist was not in her best condition. “She was already playing with knee pains during the China Open. It was more painful for her after the tournament. On top of that, her toe nail had also came off,” he said. “She went on to play in the Hong Kong Open but could not give her best (she was beaten by Salakjit Ponsana of Thailand in the first round). “I wanted to gauge her condition after the Hong Kong Open. I made her run on the treadmill. She just could not cope. She could hardly put pressure on her leg. She went to see the doctors today and has been told that she needs further treatment. “This is just unfortunate. Mew Choo was really looking forward to regaining the SEA Games title. We cannot take risks as she has a more important task – the Beijing Olympics.” Without Mew Choo, Malaysia will be hard-pressed to land a badminton gold medal. It is difficult for women's top pair Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty to stamp their mark in Korat because much would depend on the former, who is recovering from back and ankle injuries. Malaysia have an under-strength men's team spearheaded by Yeoh Kay Bin. It will be an uphill task for them in the company of a full-strength Indonesia, led by Taufik Hidayat.
but nvm!! we juz hope and pray that mew knoo nail and her knee will recover as soon as possible!!! hope that she can deliver gold medal for malaysia!! if she never play in the team event means lydia,julia and ???? will be put under a lot of pressure
never mind. SEA Games not so important as Olympics. If I am OCM and BAM, I will tell her no need to go SEA Games at all. Just use this period to recover for MAS Open in Jan 2008. What is so important about the Gold medal in SEA Games compared to Asian Games and Olympics, right ? Think long term, BAM and OCM and NSC.
Furthermore, you go SEA Games in Thailand. don't know if the medical facilities good or not. She may not get good treatment there. Just withdraw her from SEA Games. Such a simple decision to make. If not, she get injured further, cannot get gold at SEA Games. more worse right ?
That is the smart call, but on the other hand, MAS sports bodies are pressured politically, to meet their targets. Unfortunately, much is put on Mew Choo and the coaches' shoulders.
yeah, badminton is one of our medal hope sports. i hope they will do right by mew choo. no use forcing her into injury if they really care about the future of women's badminton in malaysia.
Even that she's fit now. I would rather they send Lydia, Julia and others to gain the exposure and experience.
To get precious OG points as she could in case she had to skip tournaments due to injury. From what Wong Tat Meng says, they didnt know it was this serious. She's injury prone, had to sit out major tourneys when it happens.
True, I think that's why Kenny Goh says outright 'It's serious'. So that, BAM & WMC wouldnt get blasted by Datuk Azalina if they withdraw her. That happened to a female hurdler, was called 'unpatriotic' for withdrawing until the President of Althetics had to explain how serious the injury was. WMC's already withdrawn from team event, hopefully BAM will withdraw her from individual event too, no point aggravate injury. Hopefully she'll recover enuf for SS next year.
For her own good i hope she should be withdrawn frm the competition. It's just unfair to see someone with so much potential and hope to get further injured and possibly have her injury made worst. The whole malaysia sepak takraw team has withdrawn and has came under hard criticism by their sports association. So i guess the coach just doesn't want to be overly criticized if they withdraw her straight away from the whole tournament without assessing her condition in more detail.
She is also one of the malaysian Heroin after winning the China Open title, I hope she can recover soon and continue her effort in the coming SS, looking forwards for her greater achievement in the future.
It's confirmed. WMC withdraw from all SEA Games events. With this, Indonesia favourites to win all team & individual events. Msia can only hope for WD, playing with one partner injured. from the star online Huge blow to Malaysia as Mew Choo is ruled out TOP national women’s singles shuttler Wong Mew Choo will see no action at all in the Korat SEA Games. The 24-year-old has a serious knee injury and needs a two-week clean break from playing the game to undergo a rehabilitation programme at the National Sports Institute (NSI). Mew Choo, who was the top seed, will be replaced by youngster Lydia Cheah in the individual competition. Lydia will also join Julia Wong and Anita Raj Kaur as the three singles players in the Malaysian side to carry the challenge in the team competition, which begins on Saturday. A day earlier, Mew Choo, who aggravated a nagging knee injury en route to winning the China Open last month, was ruled out from the Games' team event. But yesterday, the NSI director, Datuk Dr Ramlan Aziz, totally ruled her out of making a third appearance in the Games. Mew Choo was the gold medallist in the 2003 Vietnam Games and her coach, Wong Tat Meng, said that it was unfortunate that she had to forgo the chance to retain the title. “But let’s look at the bright side. This break will allow her to recover fully to be better prepared for her campaign in the Beijing Olympic Games (in August). “The next assignment for her is the Malaysian Open next month,” said Tat Meng. With Mew Choo out, Malaysia will be hard pressed to win even one of the seven golds at stake in Korat.
Bad new for malaysia as one strong gold medal hope is gone. Good news this break may give her a good shot at aiming for a gold in beijing.
Warrior fights till she fall down, unlike some players ...walkover here and there depend on who is/are your opponents.
Mew Choo is recuperating well at the moment. But still need to get some jabs and teraphy. She is doing fine. Heart wanted to play in Korat but Physically Can't. Olympics dreams are more important right now.
