STILL NOT SATISFIED
Creditable show from Eei Hui’s department
What I’m most pleased about this year is the partnership of Soon Huat-Shevon. They have improved so much in terms of their tactical and technical play on court. CHIN EEI HUI
HEAD coach Chin Eei Hui is one who is not easily satisfied. Three titles, three silver medals and seven semi-finals appearances from her national mixed doubles department this year may sound okay but not to Eei Hui.
She wants more from six of the pairs: Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing, Chan Peng Soon-Cheah Yee See, Goh Soon HuatShevon Lai, Chen Tang Jie-Goh Liu Ying and Hoo Pang Ron-Peck Yen Wei.
Despite receiving compliments from various quarters on their achievements, Eei Hui admitted that the pairs have struggled with consistency.
“They are not consistent. At times they are good and then they are not. I just hope that after this, they will be able to deliver better results,” said Eei Hui, when met at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara yesterday.
The three titles this year came through national No 1 Kian Meng-Pei Jing, who bagged the Malaysia Masters crown in January, while the senior backup combination of Peng Soon-Yee See, came out tops at the Russian Open and the India International Series.
“What I’m most pleased about this year is the partnership of Soon HuatShevon. They have improved so much in terms of their tactical and technical play on court. Kian Meng-Pei Jing need to improve and play better tactically.
“Peng Soon has done a great job in guiding Yee See. We cannot really assess them yet, as they are still new and Yee See is still young and inexperienced," added Eei Hui.
Last year’s Rio Olympic Games silver medallists Peng Soon-Liu Ying will also be reunited next year after a one year hiatus, but Eei Hui is not expecting miracles.
“Liu Ying has yet to recover fully, and I do not want her to over exert herself. It would be bad if she gets injured again.”
Four other shuttlers Pang Ron, Tang Jie, Yen Wei and Yee See, will be tested in a number of tournaments in January and February, but Eei Hui has yet to finalise the combinations.
The Malaysian mixed doubles department also delivered one silver and one bronze at the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games (KL2017) in August, through Soon HuatShevon and Peng Soon-Yee See respectively.