
Gold Coast: Malaysia’s badminton superstar Lee Chong Wei wants to focus on his performance before starting the individual challenges at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, on April 11.
The Penang-born athlete said he needed to beat both India’s K. Srikanth and HS Prannoy to realise his dream.
“I am excited at playing in the Commonwealth Games and I think this is the last Commonwealth Games for me, so I hope to contribute the gold medal to the country.
“I will be 40 in four years’ time, I feel it’s old and wants to give the chance for young players to highlight their talents,” he said after a mixed team event at Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre, today.
The real challenge of the country’s badminton squad at the 2018 Commonwealth Games had yet to start fully after an easy 5-0 win over Ghana.
The matter was agreed to by Chong Wei who acknowledged the first win was important for the national mixed team.
“It’s good to get the first game out of the way. Ultimately, I knew it was not going to be very tough, it was good to get the feeling of the court and to look forward to the matches.”
The men’s doubles, Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong, who started the action took only 20 minutes to beat Abraham Ayattey-Michael Opoku Baah 21-8 and 21-11.
Next, the sole female singles player to Commonwealth Games, Soniia Cheah doubled the points after 18 minutes in the game defeating Stella Koteikai Amasah 21-3 and 21-5.
The winning point for Malaysia was contributed by Malaysian national singles Chong Wei who showed the way out to Daniel Sam with 21-2 and 21-7.
Malaysia was confident at the good start which was followed up with the excellent rhythms of the women’s doubles, Vivian Hoo-Chan Mei Kuan who scuttled Grace Atipaka-Eyram Migbodzi 21-2 and 21-3 and the winning way of mixed doubles Goh Lui Ying-Chan Peng Soon over Gifty Mensah-Emmanuel Donkor 21-7 and 21-6.
In the meantime, Soniia admitted that today’s opponents were not yet strong enough to test their performances but the team could not be complacent when meeting the Canadian team tomorrow.
“Obviously today’s opponents were not that strong but tomorrow our opponents will be strong, I do not think that there’s any game plan and that I just take the games as they come,” she said.
For the record, in the last edition in Glasgow, Scotland; Malaysia won three gold medals in the men’s and women doubles events through Tan Wee Kiong-Goh V Shem, Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei and mixed team event. — Bernama