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Badminton: Chong Wei's next stop is India

Lee Chong Wei should have an easy ride in the absence of China’s shuttlers.
Lee Chong Wei should have an easy ride in the absence of China’s shuttlers.
 
LEE Chong Wei will make a return to the circuit at the India Open Super Series in New Delhi on April 26- May 1. Chong Wei, the top seed, should have an easy ride in the absence of China's shuttlers to secure his ninth title since last June.

The World No 1, recent winner of the All England men's singles title, is determined to continue with his winning run in India to boost his confidence in the bid to win the men's singles title at the London World Championships in August.

Chong Wei's main rivals in the India Open are expected to be Indonesia's World No 3 Taufik Hidayat, Simon Santoso, Sony Dwi Kuncoro and Japan's Kenichi Tago.
There is also a possibility that Misbun Sidek will return to guide Chong Wei before the start of the tournament.

The BA of Malaysia will make it known on Friday whether Misbun, who resigned on Dec 31, will accept its offer to coach the national elite squad again.

Misbun's return will definitely give Chong Wei added motivation in upcoming tournaments, especially in the World Championships.

Meanwhile, Hafiz Hashim, now an independent shuttler, is desperate to gain ranking points to qualify for the World Championships.

The former All England champion will have a chance to do so in the New Zealand Open, which starts today, and the Australian Open, scheduled for April 5-10, in Melbourne.

Hafiz, who has not won a title since the 2006 Philippines Open, is determined to give a good account of himself after an embarrassing loss to unknown Spaniard Pablo Abian in the last-16 of the recent Swiss Open.

"The Swiss Open could have been a turning point for my career. Fever slowed me down when I played Abian. I want to redeem my pride in both tournaments," said Hafiz yesterday.

"On paper, I should be able to do well in the New Zealand Open. My target in Auckland is to at least reach the final. It is slightly tough in the Australian Open as many top shuttlers have also registered for the event."

The World No 33 is the third highest ranked Malaysian in the BWF men's singles rankings, but needs to be among the 24 highest ranked players in the world to secure a guaranteed spot in the World Championships.

Read more: NST

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