PETALING JAYA: If there’s any first badminton event that Malaysia can brag an achievement or in current years, it’s all likelihood the All-England. Thanks to men’s singles ace Lee Chong Wei, the countrywide group could return with four titles – 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2017. But there may be no Chong Wei this time, so the nation will anticipate a person else to carry the name domestic when the sector’s oldest event gets below way at the Arena Birmingham these days. The 36-yr-vintage, who had no longer performed competitive badminton because he changed into identified with nose most cancers in July last yr,
has to start with planned to make his comeback on the All-England. But he had when you consider changing his plans to the Malaysian Open the following month to present him extra time to get lower back into form. In Chong Wei’s absence, all eyes will again be on the guys’ doubles and mixed doubles shuttlers with Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong and Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying seen as the pleasant bets. After all, these four seasoned campaigners have featured inside the event greater instances than any of their 13 different compatriots inside the fray this week. They did now not handiest take part. Additionally,
they got here near winning them. Peng Soon-Liu Ying nearly created history as the first Malaysian mixed doubles winner when they finished runners-as much as China’s Lu Kai-Huang Yaqiong in 2017. V Shem-Wee Kiong made it to the closing 4 in 2016 before their hopes of becoming the first guys’ doubles champions because Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong in 2007 have been shattered by way of Japan’s Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa.
The two pairs will enter their first most important yr competition with renewed optimism after producing a chain of first-rate results. In January, V Shem-Wee Kiong and Peng Soon-Liu Ying each gained the season-commencing Thailand Masters and made it to the semi-finals at Malaysian Masters every week later. Peng Soon-Liu Ying went one step higher by registering every other remaining four outings at the Indonesian Masters. If something, a triumph on the All-England will further improve their self-assurance as they build closer to Olympic
glory at Tokyo 2020. As for Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi, Shevon Lai-Goh Soon Huat, and Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing, it’s time for them to show off the energy of the modern countrywide team following the departure of Peng Soon and agency. Rising stars, including guys’ doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and combined doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Peck Yen Wei, may also be keen to affect after operating to their manner up to be a part of the elites. It will be a surreal revel for them as three hundred and sixty-five days in the past; they likely didn’t assume they would be competing in the All-England. In the ladies’ singles, -time international junior champion Goh Jin Wei will retain to build at the credentials she constructed this 12 months.
