Hyun-il comeback is on with Apacs deal

PETALING JAYA: Former world No.1 Lee Hyun-il is back in the mainstream of world badminton again.

The 34-year-old South Korean signed a two-year sponsorship deal with Malaysian equipment manufacturer Apacs in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

Hyun-il, who was twice coaxed out of retirement, showed his prowess by winning the Sri Lanka International Challenge last week. He also won the Korean Open Grand Prix Gold last November in his comeback trail.

When asked whether he would be playing in the Asian Games in his country from Sept 19-Oct 4, Hyun-il said: “I haven’t discussed this with the Badminton Korea Association (BKA). It’s still yet to be decided.

“Right now, I’m just really enjoying myself as a player and not tied to the national team. I’ve served the national team for more than 10 years and it was tiring, both physically and mentally.”

Besides Hyun-il, Apacs also signed up Indonesian women’s singles player Adrianti Firdasari, the world No. 68, and Malaysian men’s doubles pair Chow Pak Chuu-Mak Hee Chun as ambassadors.

“We’re bringing in different types of players because we are trying to expand our brand worldwide. This is a two-year sponsorship that involves cash as well as equipment. We will also sponsor the players to play in at least 10 tournaments a year,” said Apacs spokesperson Jabbary Lim.