Chong Wei bids to win Indian title and also adapt to Hyderabad stadium

Posted by Lucas Liau Lee Chong Wei, News 11:19 AM

PETALING JAYA: World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei is on another mission in Hyderabad apart from trying to win the Indian Open, which begins today at the Gouch Bouli Indoor Stadium.

He is treating the tournament as an acclimatisation event for the world championships, which will be at the same venue from Aug 10-16.

”This is another reason for competing in the Indian Open. I want to get a better feel of playing in this stadium ahead of the world championships,” said Chong Wei in a telephone interview yesterday.

“It was unfortunate that I had to miss the national sports award ceremony because of this. And I will try to make it up by winning the title here.”

On Monday, Chong Wei was named as the 2008 Sportsman of the Year for his achievements, which included winning the silver medal in the Beijing Olympics in August.

“I had a good workout here. There is draught in this stadium but I will be able to handle it,” he said.

“I will be back in this place in a few months’ time to make the bid to become the first Malaysian to win in the world championships.”

High hopes were placed on Chong Wei to nail the elusive title two years ago when the championships were held at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil. But he crashed to an uncharacteristic defeat by Indonesian Sony Dwi Kuncoro in the third round.

But after a sensational win over his nemesis, Lin Dan, in the final of the Swiss Open last week, which was his first over the Chinese in almost two years, hopes have been raised again on Chong Wei’s ability to pull it off this time.

Lin Dan remains as the players for Chong Wei to beat to claim the world title.

In the absence of many top players at the Indian Open, top seeded Chong Wei has an opening match against world junior champion Chen Long of China and he is tipped to play against Indonesian Taufik Hidayat in the final.

In two back-to-back encounters against Taufik — at the All-England and Swiss Open. — Chong Wei was the winner.

Meanwhile, Mohd Hafiz Hashim and Kuan Beng Hong will be fighting for survival to remain in the national team. The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) gave them the ultimatum to shape up or ship out early this year and the Indian Open is the last tournament for them to do so.

Both of them should win their matches in the first two rounds. The real test for former All-England champion Hafiz should come in the third round against India’s Chetan Anand while Beng Hong will probably face China’s Qiu Yanbo.

Malaysia will also be represented by four back-up singles players — Chong Wei Feng, Liew Daren, Tan Chun Seang and Mohd Arif Abdul Latif. And national chief coach Rashid Sidek is looking at them to provide some cheer with upsets in the tournament.