Count on shuttlers for gold, says Frost
RIO DE JANEIRO: Malaysian badminton is on the rebound at the Rio Olympics Games here with Datuk Lee Chong Wei expected to provide the “icing on the cake”.
Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) technical director Morten Frost Hansen said Chong Wei will win the gold medal in the men’s singles and that mixed doubles pair Chan Peng Soon- Goh Liu Ying were the next best hope. He said the pair had won three matches in a row and that men’s doubles – Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong - also had the ability to win a gold medal if they played to their full potential.
“I am positively surprised with the men’s doubles,” he said here yesterday after watching the mixed pair making great strides by reaching today’s fi nal.
“All this while I have been saying Chong Wei will win the gold in Olympics,” he added.
Peng Soon-Liu Ying will meet Indonesia’s world’s number three, Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir for the gold medal.
Frost admit ted that the Indonesians were still a difficult pair and favourites for the title but insisted that it was not impossible for Peng Soon-Liu Ying to use the
MALAYSIANS IN ACTION
(All Malaysia time)
Wednesday, Aug 17 BADMINTON Men’s singles Quarter- finals - 7.30pm
Lee Chong Wei vs Chou Tien- chen ( Chinese Taipei)
Mixed doubles - 10.50pm
Final - Gold medal match Chan Peng Soon & Goh Liu Ying vs L Natsir & T Ahmad ( INA)
GOLF
Women’s individual - 6.30pm Kelly Tan Michelle Koh ( Event times are subject to change) winning momentum to turn on the tables on their rivals.
“The Indonesian pair have been playing together on higher level for many years but the Malaysian pair have been incredible for the last 18 months,” he said.
Chong Wei will play against Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals tonight. — Bernama