'Wanita emas' jadi tumpuan

PEMAIN dan pegawai skuad badminton Malaysia ketika melakar sejarah pada Sukan Sea di Laos.

SECARA kasar, ia hanya sekadar sebutir lagi pingat emas buat negara di Sukan Sea, tetapi bagi skuad badminton wanita negara, kemenangan acara berpasukan di Laos, tahun lalu adalah penamat kemarau 34 tahun.

Skuad dibarisi Wong Mew Choo, Wong Pei Tty, Chin Eei Hui, Lydia Cheah, Tee Jing Yi, Sannatasah Saniru, Ng Hui Lin, Woon Khe Wei, Goh Liu Ying dan Chong Sook Chin menundukkan kuasa besar rantau ini, Indonesia 3-1 pada final untuk emas pertama berpasukan wanita sejak 1975.

Kemenangan itu sekali gus melayakkan mereka berada sebaris dengan calon-calon lain Anugerah SAM-100 Plus 2009 � Azizulhasni Awang (berbasikal), Lee Chong Wei (badminton), Nicol David (skuasy), Daniel Bego (renang) and Pandelela Rinong-Leong Mun Yee (terjun).

"Kami tidak diletakkan harapan memenangi emas berpasukan wanita," kata pemain perseorangan wanita negara, Wong Mew Choo. "Tetapi kami bekerja keras memenangi emas itu dan ia satu pencapaian besar buat skuad badminton wanita negara.

"Tiada kata-kata yang dapat menggambarkan perasaan kami ketika itu selepas menamatkan kemarau 34 tahun negara. Bagi kami, ia pencetus harapan baru buat negara dalam acara ini."

Mew Choo berpendapat sudah sampai masa badminton wanita negara merakam sejarah tersendiri di rantau ini dan juga dunia. "Jika menang Anugerah SAM-100 Plus kali ini, ia melengkapkan kejayaan bagi skuad badminton wanita negara," kata Mew Choo.
Persatuan Penulis Sukan Malaysia (SAM) dengan kerjasama 100Plus serta sokongan Kementerian Belia dan Sukan akan menganjurkan Anugerah SAM-100 Plus 2009 di Hotel Hilton, Petaling Jaya, Sabtu ini.

BHarian

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