National award bowls Farah over after year of enduring tough times
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The Star
12 hours ago
- The Star
Prayers answered as Arif-Roy King get golden ticket to Paris
National men's doubles shuttlers Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star PETALING JAYA: Men's doubles shuttlers Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King have double the reason to celebrate. Not only did they book a spot in the quarter-finals of the Macau Open yesterday, but they also earned a last-minute ticket to the World Championships in Paris from Aug 25-31. According to the latest update from the Badminton World Federation (BWF), Arif-Roy King, who were initially second on the reserve list, made the cut following the withdrawal of several higher-ranked pairs. Among those who pulled out are China's He Jiting-Ren Xiangyu and Indonesia's Muhammad Shohibul Fikri-Daniel Marthin. Their inclusion means Malaysia will now have four men's doubles pairs at the world meet, including former world No. 1 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, Asian champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, world No. 7 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, and Arif-Roy King. "I felt we had a good chance since we were second on the reserve list, but I told Arif to pray a bit harder so that we could make it in," said Roy King. "I'll definitely feel both nervous and excited to play there, as it will be our first appearance at the World Championships and having it in Paris makes it even more special. "For both Arif and I, it's something we're really looking forward to." The unexpected qualification has given Arif-Roy King a timely boost ahead of their quarter-final clash today against compatriots Nur Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong. Arif-Roy King booked their spot after ousting India's Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy-Sai Pratheek 21-18, 21-18, while Azriyn-Wee Kiong battled past Indonesia's young duo Muhammad Putra Erwiansyah-Daniel Marvino 21-14, 15-21, 21-17. In the mixed doubles, Jimmy Wong-Lai Pei Jing will take on second seeds Cheng Xing-Zhang Chi of China, while top seeds Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei are set to face Adnan Maulana-Indah Cahya Sari Jamil. Meanwhile, Justin Hoh is still in the running in the men's singles and will take on Thailand's Kantaphon Wangcharoen next.
The Star
16 hours ago
- The Star
Zii Jia accepts world meet invite, eyes comeback in Paris
Lee Zii Jia. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star PETALING JAYA: Professional men's singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia is set to make an appearance at the World Championships in Paris from Aug 25-31 after a four-month absence. Based on an update from the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on July 29, Zii Jia has confirmed his participation in the tournament after receiving an invitation from the world body. However, should the former world No. 2 change his mind, he still has time until Aug 12 to do so. Zii Jia had been struggling with a left ankle ligament injury since December last year, and has only competed in two tournaments this year, the Orleans Masters and All-England in March before the injury flared up again. His management, Team LZJ, had successfully secured a protected ranking for Zii Jia, and he initially planned to return at the US Open in June, but had to withdraw as he had yet to fully recover. For the same reason, Zii Jia also missed the China Open and Japan Open, which ended just a few weeks ago. The former All-England champion recently sparked concern after posting a series of unsettling sketches on his social media, prompting fans to question his mental well-being. While some viewed it as a form of artistic expression, others believe it could be a reflection of his frustration and demoralization stemming from his prolonged absence from the court. Meanwhile, if he competes in the World Championships this time, he will be joined by another compatriot, Leong Jun Hao, who will be making his debut in the tournament. Paris proved to be a memorable venue for Zii Jia last year, as he captured a bronze medal at the Olympic Games. Meanwhile, in the women's singles event, Malaysia will also be represented by two shuttlers, Goh Jin Wei and K. Letshanaa. All players will find out their opponents and potential path to the podium when the World Championships draw is held on Aug 13.
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Hon Jian-Haikal out to break curse of early exits
Superb start: Choong Hon Jian-Mohd Haikal Nazri celebrate after winning first round match at the Malaysian Masters at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil. IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star PETALING JAYA: After enduring nine months of early exits, men's doubles pair Choong Hon Jian-Mohd Haikal Nazri now have a golden opportunity to break their jinx when they face Japan's Tori Aizawa-Daisuke Sano in the second round of the Macau Open today. Hon Jian-Haikal got off to a strong start in Macau by defeating Singapore's Wesley Koh-Junsuke Kubo 21-15, 21-14 in the opening round. Although it will be their first meeting, Hon Jian-Haikal hold a slight psychological edge on paper as they are ranked higher at world No. 52, compared to the Japanese pair's No. 90. It has been a tough season for Hon Jian-Haikal, who made headlines last year by winning the Orleans Masters. Since returning from injury, the duo have struggled to regain their rhythm and confidence. Their last notable run came at the Malaysia Super 100 in Kuala Lumpur last October. Since then, they have consistently fallen in either the first or second round of tournaments. Also bidding for a place in the quarter-finals are Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King, who will take on India's Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy-Sai Pratheek. Nur Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong will face Indonesia's Putra Erwiansyah-Daniel Marvino, while Chia Weijie-Lwi Sheng Hao, fresh from their upset over seventh seeds Takumi Nomura-Yuichi Shimogami, will meet Hong Kong's Hung Kuie Chun-Lui Chun Wai. Women's singles shuttler Goh Jin Wei is also in a race to reach the quarter-finals. Despite slipping to No. 47 in the world rankings, the determined Jin Wei stayed on course with a commanding 21-14, 21-12 win over Denmark's Amalie Schulz yesterday. A tough challenge awaits, though, as she will face top seed and reigning Olympic champion Chen Yufei of China in the next round. Meanwhile, it was another early exit for compatriot K. Letshanaa, who went down fighting 13-21, 22-20, 21-19 to Hong Kong's Happy Lo. In the men's singles, national shuttler Justin Hoh will carry Malaysia's hopes when he faces seventh seed Ayush Shetty of India in the second round. Justin got off to a solid start after brushing aside Sathish Karunakaran 21-19, 21-12 in the opening round yesterday. Unfortunately, compatriot Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin failed to progress after falling 20-22, 7-21 to Canada's Brian Yang. ok
