Chong Wei’s defeat just a minor hiccup, says Misbun

Misbun: The national coach has

NATIONAL coach Misbun Sidek has defended his decision to field Lee Chong Wei in the on-going Asian Badminton Championships (ABC).

On Thursday, second seed Chong Wei crashed out in the third round to Thailand’s Boonsak Ponsana. It was the Malaysian’s first defeat to the Thai in seven meetings.

The defeat was not a big surprise considering Chong Wei’s form in the ABC.He had also struggled to get past China’s Zhu Weilun in the second round.

Prior to the ABC, Chong Wei had said that he was tired and had wanted to skip the tournament. Misbun, however, wanted him to use the ABC as a training ground in preparation for the Thomas Cup Finals.

Misbun, who described Chong Wei’s defeat a blessing in disguise, said he was confident that the Malaysian number one would be ready to justify his role as the first singles player in the Finals, which will be held in Jakarta from May 11-18.

“This (Chong Wei’s defeat) is a minor hiccup. It shows that Chong Wei still does not know how to handle his opponents – especially when they play beyond his expectations,” said Misbun.

“I have more than two weeks to help him regain his confidence and to polish up his game. I will continue to push him in training.

“He will be ready to mount a strong challenge at the Finals.”

Chong Wei, meanwhile, said he would focus on getting his act right.

“This (the defeat) will not affect my preparation for the Thomas Cup Finals.

“I just need to improve on certain areas of my game and get back my confidence,” said Chong Wei.

Posted by Lucas Liau on 12:58 PM. Filed under Lee Chong Wei, News . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0