Wedding first, then it’s off to GP Finals for Soon Hock

PETALING JAYA: Shuttler Ong Soon Hock will take the first flight out after his wedding on Feb 17 for the National Grand Prix Finals in Terengganu, which will be held from Feb 18-21.
Soon Hock, who will be tying the knot with former national artistic gymnast Yap Yee Yin, does not want to throw away the chance of becoming a national doubles champion for the first time in his career.
Soon Hock and his partner Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari are the men’s doubles top seeds of the national premier event.
In the absence of top shuttlers Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, who did not qualify as a pair, Soon Hock-Fairuzizuan have a chance to live up to their top billing.
Soon Hock said the change in schedule had turned out to be a blessing for him.
“Initially, the GP Finals were slated from Feb 16-19 and fell right smack on my wedding day. Then, the host rescheduled it, much to my delight.”
“It will be a rush but it will be manageable. Hopefully, Fairuzizuan and I will be able to do well and live up to our top billing.”
Soon Hock-Fairuzizuan are currently ranked 41st in the world, thanks to their quarter-final appearance in the US$1.2mil South Korea Open in Seoul last week.
The other qualifiers for the national GP Finals are Boon Heong-Hoon Thien How, Mak Hee Chun-Tan Wee Kiong, Goh Wei Shem-Teo Kok Siang, Mohd Lutfi Zaim Abdul Khalid-Vountus Indra Mawan and Chan Peng Soon-Ong Jian Guo.
The top pairs from Division Two who had earned the right to play in the Finals are Chooi Kah Ming-Ow Yao Han and Nelson Heg Wei Kiat-Teo Ee Yi.
In the men’s singles, world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei is expected to reign supreme for the ninth consecutive year.
In the women’s singles, lanky Lydia Cheah will get a chance to become the national champion in the absence of Wong Mew Choo, who did not qualify.

Posted by Lucas Liau on 1:48 PM. Filed under Latest News . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0