Tag: Badminton

Punished but not finished

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It’s demoralising to be sent back home after failure to meet one’s target. But that’s exactly what has happened to singles shuttler Cheam June Wei after he lost in the quarter-finals of the Czech Open and limped out of the Belgium International with an ankle injury last month. He lost 19-21, 21-15, 17-21 to world No. 97 Siril Verma of India in the quarter-finals of the Czech Open and retired after 23-25, 2-11 against Kim Bruun of Denmark in the first round of the Belgium meet. In the same two…

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Denmark Open: Malaysia’s Zii Jia beats Taiwan’s Tzu Wei in opening round

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National men’s singles ace Lee Zii Jia produced a stunning comeback to eliminate Wang Tzu Wei of Taiwan in the first round of Denmark Open 2021 today. After losing 12-21 in the first game, the 2021 All England champion regained his composure to take the next two games at 21-9 and 21-18 in a match that lasted 50 minutes at the Odense Sports Park. The seventh seeded Zii Jia will take on either fellow Malaysian Liew Daren or home shuttler Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus in the next round. Meanwhile, Tokyo Olympics…

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Thomas Cup: Malaysia through to quarter-finals after 5-0 win over Canada

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Malaysia are through to the quarter-finals of the Thomas Cup Finals in Aarhus, Denmark after outplaying Canada 5-0 in their Group D opener at the Ceres Arena on Tuesday (Oct 12). Captain Lee Zii Jia (pic) put Malaysia ahead when he brought fast rising 19-year-old Brian Yang back down to earth with a comfortable 21-18, 21-13 win in 38 minutes. “Brian has upset quite a few top players and everyone was looking at whether he would upset me today,” said Zii Jia in the post-match interview. “I had to be stronger than…

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China too strong for our girls

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Malaysia can expect a whipping from China in their Group D tie of the Uber Cup Finals today. Despite fielding a weaker team by resting all their Olympic Games medallists, China got off to a brilliant start in their opening tie when they thrashed Canada 5-0 without much problems and they did it all under three hours. The Malaysian girls will stand no chance to collect even a point and it will be best to give their reserves an opportunity to play. They can rest national No. 1 S. Kisona…

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Para-badminton at Tokyo Paralympics: All you need to know

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Key information Dates: 1-5 September Venue: Yoyogi National Stadium, Tokyo Gold medals on offer: 14 How does it work? Para-badminton competitors are divided into six classes (two wheelchair classes and four standing classes) but for the sport’s Paralympic debut, not every class will be represented in both genders. WH1 and WH2 classes are for wheelchair users. WH1 athletes have a more severe impairment than WH2 athletes. SL3 and 4 competitors are standing athletes with lower limb impairments while SU5 competitors are standing athletes with upper limb impairment and SH6 competitors are short-stature athletes.…

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YONEX TAIPEI OPEN 2021 CANCELLED

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Further to Wednesday’s announcement detailing updates to the BWF Tournament Calendar 2021, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) can confirm the YONEX Taipei Open 2021 is now cancelled. This follows unexpected COVID-19 complications regarding the staging of the tournament, leaving local organisers no choice but to cancel. The BWF regrets the sudden change of direction but remains committed to delivering a safe and structured series of badminton tournaments for the rest of the year.   Week Tournament Dates City Level 39 TotalEnergies BWF Sudirman Cup Finals 2021 26 Sep – 03…

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Mei Kuan-Meng Yean's Tokyo dream

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CHOW Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean want to achieve what no Malaysian women’s doubles pair have achieved in the past — a podium finish at the Olympics. The pair who have done well to reach three semi-finals this year (two at the Asian Leg of the World Tour and at the Swiss Open) are among the eight local players who have qualified for the delayed Tokyo Games on July 23-Aug 8. After playing together for more than six years, the World No 11 believe it is high time a Malaysian women’s…

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Covid-19 restrictions put end to China tournaments this year

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THERE will be no further tournaments in China for the remainder of the year due to Covid-19 restrictions. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) yesterday released a revised tournament calendar for the rest of the season, which will resume after the Tokyo Olympics on July 23-Aug 8. Vantaa, Finland, will host the Sudirman Cup on Sep 26-Oct 3, replacing Suzhou, China, who were supposed to organise it on May 23-30. There will be a one-week break before everyone shifts their focus on the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in Aarhus, Denmark…

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Taiwan's Chou eyes Olympic badminton gold, even without a coach

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It’s an unorthodox approach, but Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen is hoping his decision to go without a coach will help him win badminton gold at the Tokyo Olympics. The world number four has flourished since parting ways with a full-time coach in 2019, with his physiotherapist Victoria Kao filling the role of mentor, cheerleader and critic. With Kao in his corner, Chou won his first Super 1000 title at the 2019 Indonesia Open, and lifted the Taipei Open trophy for a record third time. Now Chou, who reached the last eight…

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Whatever it is, a decision must be made soon

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The Malaysia Open, a Super 750 event and one of badminton’s oldest tournaments, is set to be the second last event on the calendar this year to offer Olympic qualifying points. Slated for May 25-30 at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, it is also expected to be the first international tournament to open its doors to fans since Covid-19 hit its peak last year. The deadly B.1.617 variant, which caused a “Covid tsunami”, in India has reached our shores. Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican recently said…

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