Never a dull moment in Malaysian badminton but nicer if results pour in too

FROM high court to baby cot and plenty of action on the badminton court – this probably sums up Malaysian badminton over the last two weeks.

The good news is: the dispute between shuttler Roslin Hashim and Datuk Kenny Goh has been settled amicably.

Kenny had sued the former world No. 1 singles shuttler for his comments on social media early this year, but it was settled out of court on Wednesday, with the player apologising and the Badminton Association of Malaysia secretary accepting it.

All is good now as Roslin will remain as a member of the BAM’s technical advisory panel (TAP) to give his opinion.

Sports should not divide nor should it stop one from expressing himself.

Giving one’s opinion for the betterment of the game is laudable but it should be supported with facts and figures.While it ended well for Roslin, it was a new beginning for another former international Goh Liu Ying.

There was joy for the former mixed doubles star as the 33-year-old delivered a healthy 3.3kg baby boy on National Day.

The day of birth could not have been better as Liu Ying had sacrificed so much to play for the country for more than a decade.

When she celebrates the birth of baby Kai – as she fondly calls him – every year on that historic day, she will be reminded of her toils through injuries, surgeries and pressures that eventually led her to her peak career moment – winning a silver medal with Chan Peng Soon at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

There was however, no pre-Merdeka Day celebration from doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Co at the World Championships in Copenhagen.

Aaron-Wooi Yik were unable to defend their world title in a very competitive men’s doubles field but they emerged as Malaysia’s top performers by reaching the semis, securing at least a bronze.

Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah gave a rousing show but it was not good enough to become the first pair to reach the semis in a world meet series after a narrow defeat in the quarter-finals.

In the ongoing China Open, doubles players continue to shine, especially Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei as they reached their first-ever mixed doubles semi-finals in a Super 1000 tournament after defeating Taiwan’s Ye Hong-wei-Lee Chia-hsin.

Hopefully, these young vibrant ‘gangsters’ as the fans call them for their gung-ho approach in the game, can go all the way to win their first title.

Titles have been slowed to a trickle for Malaysia over the past years. Gone are the days when Lee Chong Wei used to win a handful of titles single-handedly that earned him the moniker of King of Super Series.

There was one year when he ended the season with 11 titles.

Titles are scarce, not because our players are not trying hard, but in some departments we are just left far behind due to constant changes and lack of depth while in others, competition is just so keen following the rapid progress of other nations.

India, Hong Kong and Taiwan used to be the minnows but are now among the heavyweights of the game.

For Malaysia, the Asian Games this month in Hangzhou, China will be a perfect platform for our shuttlers to redeem themselves.

We last won a title through Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong 17 years ago under the guidance of Rexy Mainaky at the 2006 Doha edition.

Can Aaron-Wooi Yik end this long agonising wait? Will there be surprises from Pearly-Thinaah or Tang Jie-Ee Wei? What about Lee Zii Jia or Ng Tze Yong – can they end the Asiad men’s singles title last won by late Datuk Punch Gunalan in 1970 – 53 years ago?

Come on, let’s make it count on the badminton court, guys.