‘PATHETIC’ RED GIANTS FALL TO KL
Selangor fail to spark as Hodak’s City Boys win Caring Cup
FOLLOWING the wholesale changes at Selangor for the new season, many were expecting the Red Giants to maul Kuala Lumpur in Saturday’s Caring Cup at KLFA Stadium in Cheras.
Instead of securing a morale-boosting win, the team lost 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw in regulation time against their Klang Valley rivals.
Based on Selangor’s performance, coach Karsten Neitzel will have to do more to get his team going before they open their Super League campaign against Pahang on this coming Saturday.
Both teams fielded their bench players in a friendly late yesterday in Shah Alam.
The German coach admitted that he has to make some changes before their first league game.
“My line up for the new season will depend on the condition of the players, who had it tough due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Neitzel.
Meanwhile, KL coach Bojan Hodak is glad about his team’s progress ahead of the new season.
Saturday’s win over Selangor was their third pre-season friendly after the 1-0 defeat to Negri Sembilan and the 4-1 win over Sabah.
Hodak was impressed with the performances of goalkeeper Kevin Mendoza, Daniel Ting, Akram Mahinan, captain Paulo Josue and Romel Morales.
“Akram worked hard while Josue and Morales did a good job in defence.
“Indra (Putra Mahayuddin), Hadin (Azman) and the flankers are normally a problem, but they showed progress in the match.
“We created more chances than Selangor and also defended well,” said Hodak.
KL will open their Super League campaign against Penang on Saturday.
FOR the Swiss Open Association, organising an event during a pandemic is a matter of survival.
And for the past 30 years, they have done just that.
Yonex Swiss Open organising committee chairman Christian Wackernagel believes it is crucial to persevere amid the Covid-19 pandemic as international badminton must start somewhere.
“This year, we will be celebrating our 30th anniversary. Last year, it was very tough for everybody because of the pandemic.
“The Yonex Swiss Open (starts tomorrow) is also an Olympic qualifier, so it is a very important tournament for the players. Thankfully, the cut-off date has been pushed to June.
“We at the Swiss Open Association are happy to welcome everybody to Basel. Preparations are in line with the Badminton World Federation’s requirements, and so far, we have not recorded any cases in the bubble,” Wackernagel told Timesport yesterday.
Unlike the Asian leg of the World Tour in Bangkok in January, the rules in Switzerland are slightly more relaxed.
“In Switzerland, you are free to roam as long as you can produce a 72-hour negative report. Of course, this does not apply
to the players and officials who are required to be in the bubble. However, there is no mandatory hotel quarantine if you have tested negative.
“How we see it is international badminton has got to start somewhere. It is important for the sport.
“We had also studied the modules of other sports that resumed during the pandemic.
“It’s about survival. If you are strong, the virus might infect you, but you won’t die. But if you are weak, then there may be complications.
“That is also our approach. We have to be strong for the future of the sport.”
Wackernagel noted that sometimes situations are beyond the control of the BWF, as in the case with the German Open, which was cancelled due to a surge in Covid-19 cases in the country.
“It is unfortunate for the German Open to be cancelled as it was an Olympic qualifying event. But it was a matter of government
policy. Even the BWF cannot overwrite a government’s decision.
“Same as the Swiss Open, we cannot do anything if players from China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are not allowed to come.
“Badminton is a sport for everybody, so we will go on.
“To be frank, we cannot even guarantee if the All England (March 17-22) will go on because it is beyond our control.
“What we can assure the players and officials is that they can stay and train in Switzerland. That arrangement has already been done, even for the Malaysian squad.”
The organising committee have also made it possible for players to undergo a PCR test in Basel, 72 hours before traveling to Birmingham for the All England.
The Yonex Swiss Open, a Super 300 event, marks the start of the 2021 season and is the first BWF event on European soil this year.
According to Wackernagel, they have received 600 entries for the event, with many more on the waiting list.
“We are very proud to continue this legacy. We also have to thank the Swiss government for giving us the green light to go ahead with the event,” Wackernagel concluded. ! +*/- !