Chi Wing ready to step up in Asian meet

PETALING JAYA: National champion Lim Chi Wing knows the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships will be the best chance for him to step up to the plate.

In the absence of the injured national No. 2 Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin, the 21-year-old Chi Wing will share the men’s singles burden with Soong Joo Ven when the competition starts in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, today.

And world No. 143 Chi Wing, a surprise winner at the national championships in December, is ready to show the coaches that he’s the man for the job.

“This is my first major team event for the national team. I didn’t start the year well after losing in the first round of the Malaysian Masters in Sibu last month so I’m hoping to bounce back with a good showing in Vietnam.

“I hope that I’ll get more chances to play and deliver a point. I’m always ready when called upon. After all, this is a chance to prove myself,” said Chi Wing.

Besides Chi Wing and Joo Ven, the other members of the team are Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani (men’s doubles); Ho Yen Mei and Lee Ying Ying (women’s singles); Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean and Lim Yin Loo-Yap Cheng Wen (women’s doubles) and the mixed pair of Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie.

Fouth seeds Malaysia are in Group B with Indonesia and Sri Lanka. They take on minnows Sri Lanka today.

On Thursday, Malaysia meet Indonesia to decide the group winners.

Top seeds China are in Group A with Taiwan and Hong Kong.

South Korea, the second seeds, are in Group D with India and Singapore.

Group C comprises third seeds Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

The top two teams from each group will proceed to the quarter-finals.