We can scratch our heads
Malaysia may have more options at Uber Cup
ALOR SETAR: What was at first a cause for concern has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Malaysian women’s badminton team.
Doubles player Lee Meng Yean was forced out of the Asia Team Championships squad prior to the tournament due to a knee injury.
Malaysia then suffered another blow when captain and another doubles ace Woon Khe Wei picked up a knee injury in the 4-1 win over Vietnam on Tuesday.
But in the absence of the two key players, the scratch pairs of Vivian Hoo-Tee Jing Yi and Chow Mei Kuan-Goh Yea Ching both rose to the occasion, winning their matches in Malaysia’s 3-2 defeat to a stronger Thailand side.
The impressive displays of the two pairs may now give Malaysia more options in the Uber Cup Finals.
Malaysia qualified for the Finals in May by virtue of their world rankings despite crashing out after a 3-0 defeat to South Korea in the quarter- finals of the Asia Team Championships.
National women’s doubles coach Wong Pei Tty can now look forward to the Uber Cup with a positive mindset.
“I think the injuries to both Meng Yean and Khe Wei were unfortunate.
“Especially Khe Wei, as it was something we could not predict,” said Pei Tty.
“But we were still well prepared and the back-ups continued to play well.
“We should have a clean bill of health by the Finals in May but I told my players that no one is guaranteed a spot.
“Especially since the scratch pairs have shown that we certainly have more options.
“We always try to experiment with new combinations to see if there are any surprises.
“Yea Ching really did impress me here. She did not have much experience but she showed maturity and has the potential to be a top player.”
For starters, Pei Tty’s first task is to assign the 21-year-old Yea Ching a partner. The KL-born shuttler’s regular partner Joyce Choong submitted her resignation letter to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) last week.
Pei Tty also believed that Jing Yi, who switched from singles to doubles last year, still has room for improvement.
“She still plays like she’s playing singles at times and she needs more work tactically.
“Overall, our level is still far behind the top nations like Japan or South Korea.
“But I believe that as long as the team are in good spirits and the players don’t show too much respect to their opponents, we can always close the gap.”