Look like LCW is now a big brother on court and off court. From THESTAR Badminton: Early birds to Madrid By LOGANATH VELLOO KUALA LUMPUR: The national badminton squad left for Madrid last night, 12 days before the start of the World Championships on Sept 18. The early departure is to ensure the team get used to the playing conditions in Madrid and also to train in a low-pressure environment. No Malaysian has won a world title since the inaugural championships in 1977. Following the semi-final appearances of singles player Lee Chong Wei and doubles pair Chan Chong Ming-Koo Kien Keat in the previous edition in Los Angeles last year, there is a strong feeling that a Malaysian will be crowned the world champion in Madrid. National chief coach Yap Kim Hock said yesterday: “I am happy that the squad have managed to stay injury-free during our tough training sessions in Kuala Lumpur. Hopefully, the situation will remain the same in the final phase of training in Madrid.” CHECKING IN: National number one Lee Chong Wei (centre) and coach Li Mao lead the team in checking-in for their flight Wednesday. He added that the squad would check into a sports club's hostel on the outskirts of city, about 20km away from the tournament's venue, Palacio de Deportes. “We have been given permission to use the courts and facilities in the sports club. We will be based there until Sept 14. We will only check into the official hotel and start training at the tournament venue the following day,” said Kim Hock. “Most of the groundwork has been completed and the final phase of training will focus on working on each shuttler's weakness.” The squad wrapped up their training in Bukit Jalil yesterday morning. En route to Madrid, they will transit in Zurich. On board the flight were 17 players in the national team – Lee Chong Wei, Mohd Hafiz Hashim, Kuan Beng Hong, Choong Tan Fook, Lee Wan Wah, Chan Chong Ming, Koo Kien Keat, Mohd Fairuzizuan Tazari, Lin Woon Fui, Gan Teik Chai, Wong Mew Choo, Wong Pei Tty, Chin Ee Hui, Ooi Sock Ai, Fong Chew Yen, Mooi Hing Yau and See Phui Leng and team coaches Kim Hock, Misbun Sidek and Li Mao. The non-national team shuttlers – women's singles player M. Sutheaswary and women's pair of Lim Pek Siah-Chor Hooi Yee – will only fly to Madrid at the end of next week. The national team's doubles coaches Cheah Soon Kit and Rexy Mainaky, who is still waiting for his visa, are expected to leave this weekend. The sparring partners for the team – Mohd Zakry Latif, Tan Boon Heong, James Chua and K. Yogendran – will fly out of Kuala Lumpur tonight.
I'm glad BAM have included Tan Boon Heong in the Malaysian contingent to Madrid although only as a sparring partner. Absorbing the atmosphere in Madrid will be useful to him as I expect to see him play in the next World Championship in KL. I think he is potentially the next big star for Malaysia.
wasai...i saw the draws alrdy....these r some of my comments: -first,lets talk abt WD...i think Chin/Wong have a chance to go into semis...coz they will meet either Emms/Donna or Zhang YW/Wei YL in quarter final...i hope Emms/Donna can kick away the chinese pair...then Chin/Wong can meet them in Q/F..they beat Emms/Donna in Melbourne right???so this is a golden opportunity for them to win a FIRST WOMENs` DOUBLES medal for Malaysia...isn`t it???
and also women singles.... i think mew choo also has chance to win a medal...her first and second round`opponents r not strong...but in round of 16...haha...is 2nd seed-Xu Huai Wen....according to mew choo`s performance in HK Open/Korea Open...she is now in good condition n i hope she win beat Xu...if she really win,in QF will be Hwang from Korea or Yao Jie...but i am looking forward to Hwang coz she is younger than Yao J n she is a talented player...hope Mew Choo will try her best and don`t miss this opportunity to go into semi...hopefully she will do it...g00d luck Mew Choo
wow, this early of a trip heh??..I noticed unlike other countries' contingents, the MAS squad must've had quite a good connection(s) in Spain, in order for them to leave this early and spend about 2 weeks prior to the WC?!?! Either that, or they have quite a big pocket-change to carry&spend..hehe
Off topic.. sorry, yah, maybe it's magical_phoenix, i forgot cos i read somewhere in another thread, that another BC member mentioned she was coming to S'pore to study?!?!..sorry again..
Wow, now we're talking.. ...wah, now, that's what i call "taking care of your players"..hehehe ...wow, no wonder they always look quite happy and healthy... I remember, even in last yr's World Championships, all the MAS players were all in "happy moods", even the coaches...hmm, perhaps that's one of the big reason why Rexy took the offer and jumped ship and move to M'sia??.. hehe..well, even that, if i'm a player from another badminton-powerhouse country(ies), i will be quite "envious" of the MAS players..
Badminton is one of the 8 elite sports identified by the Government, where they will get full suppport from the Government from the development programme until the highest level like WC TC
No room for failure With all the hype from the media and optimism of Rexy plus the early departure to Madrid, Malaysia better produce good results. Anything less the the gold medal is considered a failure and if that happen, we may very well see the last of the high performance coaches around ... I recall this is THE tournament where high performance coaches are hired for? I think winning the MS title is quite impossible, MD title is more realistic goal.
I am surprised by the number...there are that many elite sports identified by Mal government. Besides badminton, hockey, and soccer, I wonder what other sports are placed in the elite category, do you know?