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Independent players Teik Chai-Bin Shen to fight for Olympic berth

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia have never been represented by a non-national team member at the Olympic Games but the doubles pair of Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen is determined to change things this time.

With the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) stating that they will not stop independent players from participating at the London Olympics next year, it has certainly re-ignite the challenge for Teik Chai-Bin Shen to make a bid to qualify on merit.

The top Malaysian pairing of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong are still the best bet to qualify for the Olympics although they have slipped down to fifth following their disappointing quarter-final exit at the World Championships in London recently.

Doubles players Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif and Mohd Fairizizuan Mohd Tazari have also left the national body to reunited as an independent pair but the duo face an uphill task of making the cut as they do not have any ranking points at the moment.

The one-year Olympic qualifying campaign already started in May and it is tougher to make the cut under the new format as only 16 pairs will get to compete in London.
They will be placed in four groups of four each.

The top two after the round-robin game in each group will battle it out in the elimination round in a draw pre-determined by the world body.

If there is any hope for a second pair to follow Kien Keat-Boon Heong, it is Bin Shen-Teik Chai as they are the second active Malaysian pairing and currently ranked 25th.

Teik Chai said both of them never played at the Olympics in their career and their omission from the recent world meet have only made them more determined to achieve their dreams.

Bin Shen-Teik Chai were denied the opportunity to compete in the world meet despite qualifying for it as the second best doubles pair in the country as BAM opted to send Zakry-Hoon Thien How instead.
Bin Shen-Teik Chai, ranked 16th at that time, later took their case to the Olympic Council of Malaysia to seek out justice.

“The regulations for the Olympic Games have become stricter. Even to qualify is not an easy task but we still have a chance to fight for it.

“There is a clear guideline for participation at the Olympics and we will try to qualify for it,” said Teik Chai.
“We are grateful our sponsors are on our side and supporting us. We will try not to disappoint them,” he said.
Local sports equipment company Apacs also recently extended their sponsorship of the duo for another year.
Teik Chai-Bin Shen are playing in the Vietnam Open this week where they are starting as the fourth seeds.



THE STAR

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