Mixed bag of goodies
Misbun hopes his varied selection will serve him well in Thomas Cup
KUALA LUMPUR: National singles head coach Datuk Misbun Sidek is hoping his squad of mixed talents will make a difference at the Thomas Cup Finals.
He has chosen two seniors – Lee Chong Wei and Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin – and two youngsters, Lee Zii Jia and Leong Jun Hao, for the Finals from May 20-27 in Bangkok, Thailand, but he has no doubts about their abilities.
The doubles players are Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong, Soh Wooi Yik-Aaron Chia and Teo Ee Yi-Mohd Arif Abdul Latif.
Misbun admitted that on paper, the men’s singles squad were the weakest compared to China, Japan, Denmark, South Korea, Indonesia and even India.
“Our team are the underdogs. I’ve taken a risk but this is the best team. We’ve seniors and players for the future. I’ll be responsible for their performances,” said Misbun.
“Chong Wei’s selection gives the team a sense of stability. Younger players are looking for an opportunity to beat him – that’s his only challenge.
“Iskandar is also a senior, he may not be as successful as Chong Wei but I like his fighting spirit. I believe he will help the team as the third singles.
“He was down for the first six months last year but now, he has regained his form and works hard in training.”
Misbun’s real test will be his gamble on the 20-year-old Zii Jia and 18-year-old Jun Hao but he isenthusiastic about their potential.
“Zii Jia is a player with potential. This is the time for him to gain experience and also shine,” said Misbun.
“His technique is good and he’s a smart player. He’s the best we’ve got for the second singles and he has to seize this opportunity.
“Since I was appointed as coach (in August last year), Jun Hao is the player who has progressed the most. He has shown maturity in every tournament.
“After winning the Asian Junior title, he made his presence felt at the Thailand Masters (runner-up) and went on to win the Finland Open. That convinced me to choose him.
“One good quality about Jun Hao is that he fears no one. He goes all out – even if the one standing opposite him is Lin Dan.”
Although stacked lower than the others, Misbun said: “I’ve faith in our players. I’m happy with all the other singles players in the team too for showing a good attitude in training and helping the Thomas Cup-bound squad as they prepare for the battle.”