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Malaysia dalam undian maut

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia berdepan laluan getir dalam usaha merangkul kejuaraan pada ulang tahun ke-100 Kejohanan Badminton Seluruh England bulan depan apabila undian maut menanti pemain-pemain utamanya.

Bermula dari dua jagoan No. 1 dunia, Datuk Lee Chong Wei dan Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, hinggalah kepada Muhammad Hafiz Hashim dan Wong Mew Choo, semuanya tidak dapat mengelak daripada berdepan bintang dunia seawal saingan bermula.
Chong Wei, yang mengidamkan kejuaraan Seluruh England pertama dalam kariernya dijangka berdepan pemain yang telah dua kali mengecewakannya pada Kejohanan Dunia, Sony Dwi Kuncoro dari Indonesia di pusingan kedua.

Jika layak ke suku akhir, dijangka menanti pula adalah jaguh muda Denmark, Jan O Jorgensen, pemain yang telah menyingkirkannya pada pusingan kedua Terbuka China, tahun lalu.

Pada separuh akhir, ada Peter Hoeg Gade dari Denmark atau bekas juara Olimpik, Taufik Hidayat dari Indonesia menanti. Chong Wei akan memulakan kempen dengan bertemu pemain India, Chetan Anand.
Sementara itu, keadaan lebih buruk buat Hafiz apabila bakal memulakan aksi dengan menentang pemain yang telah mengejutkannya di Terbuka Malaysia, Januari lalu, Hsieh Yu Hsing dari Taiwan.

Belum pun sempat menarik nafas, juara Olimpik, juara dunia dan juara Seluruh England tiga kali, Lin Dan dari China bakal menanti di pusingan kedua.
Dua lagi jaguh China, Bao Chunlai dan Chen Jin menunggu di suku dan separuh akhir andai Hafiz berjaya meneruskan kemaraan.

Jaguh veteran negara, Wong Choong Hann, yang mendapat tempat dalam senarai awal skuad Piala Thomas memulakan kempen dengan menentang jaguh Indonesia, Simon Santoso. Chong Wei Feng pula akan beraksi dari pusingan kelayakan.

"Chong Wei harus berwaspada dengan Sony kerana pemain itu telah mengalahkannya dua kali pada Kejohanan Dunia, sudah tentu dia memiliki tahap keyakinan yang tinggi.


"Bagi Hafiz, saya tidak rasa Yu Hsing satu masalah besar walaupun pemain itu menewaskannya pada Terbuka Malaysia. Jika dia berada pada prestasi terbaik dia patut boleh menang. Menentang Lin Dan, saya harap dia boleh memberi tentangan terbaik,'' kata ketua jurulatih perseorangan, Rashid Sidek.
Cabaran beregu lelaki tidak kurang getirnya apabila juara 2007, Kien Keat-Boon Heong memulakan kempen dengan berdepan beregu berpengalaman Denmark, Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen.

Dalam suku akhir, pasangan Indonesia Alvent Yulianto-Hendra Aprida Gunawan atau beregu China, Chai Biao-Zhang Nan mampu menjadi lawan dan di separuh akhir, juara Olimpik, Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan lawan yang bakal menunggu.

"Saya rasa Koo dan Tan sepatutnya tidak menghadapi masalah untuk melangkah ke suku akhir, di mana saya menjangkakan mereka akan bertemu Chai Biao-Zhang Nan.

"Ujian utama mereka adalah Chai dan Zhang. Kalau berjaya melepasi halangan pasangan China itu, maka keyakinan untuk berdepan Markis dan Hendra tentu tinggi,'' kata ketua jurulatih beregu, Rexy Mainaky.
Cabaran beregu lelaki negara turut dipikul dua pemain profesional, Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen dan Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah.
Dalam perseorangan wanita, Mew Choo nyata tidak bernasib baik apabila terpaksa menentang jaguh No. 3 dunia dan juara Terbuka China, Jiang Yanjiao seawal pusingan pembukaan.

Yanjiao menang mudah 21-16, 21-11 ke atas Mew Choo dalam pertemuan terakhir kedua-dua pemain di Kejohanan China Masters, September lalu.

Dua lagi perseorangan wanita negara, Lydia Cheah dan Anita Raj Kaur memulakan aksi dari pusingan kelayakan.

Saingan beregu wanita menyaksikan Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui berjaya mengelak bertemu pasangan China di pusingan awal tetapi akan menentang beregu Indonesia, Greysia Polii-Meiliana Jauhari pada pusingan pertama.

Edisi ke-100 Seluruh England akan diadakan di Arena Tertutup Birmingham dari 9-14 Mac ini.

Oleh Norzie Mohd. Khasbi
sukan@utusan.com.my

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