NORZA: QUALIFY FOR THOMAS-UBER CUP FINALS ON MERIT
Shuttlers must qualify on merit for Cup Finals, warns Norza
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will be banking on home ground advantage to qualify on merit for the Thomas-Uber Cup Finals.
And Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria has promised that there would be no cock-up this time after failing to qualify on merit for the last edition.
BAM announced yesterday that Kedah has been chosen to host next year’s Asia Team Championships in Alor Setar from Feb 6-11.
The Badminton Asia tournament serves as the qualifiers for the Thomas-Uber Cup Finals in Bangkok, Thailand, from May 20-27.
Only the top four teams in the semi-finals of the Asia Team Championships will earn automatic berths to the Finals.
Malaysia failed to qualify for the men’s team event on merit last year in Hyderabad, India. Luckily, they sneaked in as one of the top-ranked Asian qualifiers.
Malaysia sent a young team to Hyderabad, led by Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin, and lost to India in the quarter-finals.
Norza is hoping for an automatic berth by the men’s team this time – by virtue of a top-four finish in Alor Setar.
“I’m super excited that Kedah has been chosen as the host. The Kedah BA have done well to meet all of Badminton Asia’s requirements to earn the right as the host for the qualifiers,” said Norza.
“Kedah has hosted the world junior championships twice (in 2009 and 2014). It’ll give tremendous value to the profile of the state to host a major badminton event like this. It’ll see 240 participants from 14 nations battling it out.
“And as host, we want our team to do well and qualify on merit.”
Malaysia clearly lacked depth in men’s singles and it was evident in their tame quarter-final loss to Indonesia at the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games last month.
The men’s doubles are in a re-building process following the decision to split Rio Olympic Games silver medallists Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong.
As for the women’s hopes of qualifying for the Uber Cup Finals, Norza said: “Our women played better than the men at the KL Games. They can defy the odds if they continue to show fighting spirit on the court.”
The qualifiers for the 16-team Finals are the host, defending champion, four from Asia, four from Europe, one from Pan America, one from Oceania, one from Africa and three other countries – from Asia or Europe – based on the world ranking.
Asked if Malaysia was ready to host the Finals in the future, Norza said: “We have to be a host with dignity. We don’t want to be mere passengers in a big bus. We have to challenge for the title.”
Malaysia last won the Thomas Cup in 1992.
They came close to ending the long wait but fell 3-2 to Japan in the final at the Finals in New Delhi in 2014.