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Aiming To Squash The Competition In The Semi-final

By Hilary Sebastian

KUALA LUMPUR, 26 Nov (Bernama) -- The Malaysian team comprising two top senior and two top junior national players is the right balance to squash the competition in the semi-final stage at the 16th Women's Team Championship in Cairo, beginning Sunday.

National No 2 player Sharon Wee, who is the most senior among the four players, expressed confidence over the team which consists of world number one player Datuk Nicol David, Delia Arnold (ranked 34th) and Low Wee Wern (ranked 46th).

She said it was capable of doing better than its third placing win at the 2006 Championship in Edmonton, Canada.

At the 2006 Women's Championship, the Malaysian team was the third seed beating the Netherlands 2-1 in the play-off match, in which Sharon lost to Annelize Naude 3-1 in the first match, but Nicol leveled the scoreline after beating Vanessa Atkinson 3-0, and then Tricia Chuah beat Orla Noon 3-0 to seal the Malaysian team's third place win.

England emerged champions beating second seed Egypt 2-0 in the final to win its sixth title since the inaugural biennial championship in 1979.

"With a balanced team, I hope we can top Pool D and in the quarter-final stages, could avoid playing top seeds such as England, New Zealand and Egypt.

"If we manage to move into the quarter-final, hopefully we will meet New Zealand and have a better chance to advance into the semi-final or final," she told Bernama here Wednesday.

Sharon, who will appear in her fourth championship, said every team member was highly committed and spirited.

"We will bring something from this championship," she promised.

Meanwhile, Wee Wern said this was her first appearance in the championship.

"We have a strong team and I believe we have a good chance to do well in this championship," said the 18-year-old top national junior player.

The championship will be staged at the National Stadium in Cairo, Egypt, from Nov 30 to Dec 6.

The Malaysian team will leave for Cairo on Thursday evening.

-- BERNAMA

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