Rexy challenges shuttlers to improve team camaraderie

KUALA LUMPUR: The simulation ties for the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup squads at Gymnasium II in Bukit Jalil yesterday failed to achieve its objective as far as enhancing team spirit is concerned.

There was a lack of team support for players on court and it left national doubles chief coach Rexy Mainaky a little disappointed. But he chose to look on the bright side.

Rexy said that he was glad that the simulation session exposed the player’s weaknesses and he had challenged both the singles and doubles players to further improve on team camaraderie.
“It is easy to talk and say that the players are united but putting it into practice is not easy. And that is what happened today,” said Rexy.

Except for several seniors, including skipper Wong Choong Hann and Lee Wan Wah, who cheered their team-mates on, the other members of the team did not seem to take the proceedings seriously. Some of them showed up again when the ties were almost reaching the end.

What was the purpose of the 4½-hour session if the players did not get the feel of what they were going to expect at the Finals in Jakarta? And to make a mockery of it all, the Badminton Association of Malaysian (BAM) handed RM1,000 to the winning teams.

In the seven-match tie for the men, Lee Chong Wei lost the first match against Mohd Roslin Hashim. Despite the defeat, the team should have supported each other to fight back but this did not happen.

The most apparent show of lack of support was when youngster Mohd Arif Latif played the deciding match against James Chua. There were more taunts from the opponents’ camp for Arif than the support he received from his team-mates.

Only after Rexy urged some the doubles players to rally support that the situation improved. Arif won the match to give his team a 4-3 win.

Rexy admitted that the session could have been better organised.

“The coaches had taken the trouble to hold this because we want to ensure that every angle of the preparation for the players are taken care of,” he said.

“Probably, the players would have showed better support if we had called in the public to watch. In Indonesia, the players get to feel exactly what to expect in the Finals during a simulation session.

“But it was disappointing to see some of our players taking it lightly. This is a practice for them. What they do here will be translated at the Finals.

“I am glad that this session had showed up a weakness. We need to further improve. The players have to support each other, especially when one of their team-mates loses.”

The Uber Cup team played against male players and were beaten 1-6.

Thomas Cup team bt Team Union 4-3: Lee Chong Wei lost to Mohd Roslin Hashim 14-21, 24-26; Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah bt Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng 21-11, 21-18; Wong Choong Hann lost to Tan Chun Seang 21-19, 11-21, 16-21; Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong bt Ong Soon Hock-Hoon Thien How 18-21, 21-12, 21-13; Mohd Hafiz Hashim bt Yeoh Kay Bin 2-13, 21-13; Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari lost to Tan Bin Shen-Gan Teik Chai 23-25, 20-22; Mohd Arif Abdul bt James Chua 17-21, 21-11, 21-10.

Team Tiger bt Team Uber Cup 6-1: Khoo Chung Chiat lost to Wong Mew Choo 21-12, 7-21, 21-16; Chan Hun Ping-Seng Kah Hung bt Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty 21-10, 21-10; Chan Peng Soon bt Julia Wong 21-18, 14-21, 21-13; Hong Chieng Hun-Lim Chen Wet bt Lim Pek Siah-Ng Hui Lin 21-16, 21-18; Guru bt Lydia Cheah 21-15, 21-13; Ahmad Shahibul-K. Yogendran bt Woon Khe Wei-Sabrina Chong 21-18, 21-13; Komang Sandy bt Tee Jing Yee 21-13, 17-21, 21-16.