Simulation match called off but squads’ preparations will still be stimulating

By – Thiruselvam

Malaysia may not have gone through proper centralised training for the Asia Team Championships, which will be held from Feb 13-18, but national coaching director Rexy Mainaky said the men’s and women’s squads are well focused on their preparation.

Lee Zii Jia, due to his training commitment in South Korea, is the only player not part of the ongoing training while the rest of the men’s team players are based at the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara.

Rexy said that a planned simulation match between the Asia Team squads and other national players has been called off.

“Most of the players have played in team events before and we are focusing more on the preparation of Asia Team squad with quality training and sparring,” said Rexy.

“Previously, we used to have a training camp but now, the competition schedule is so cramped there is hardly much time for the players to recover.

“We will not have a simulation match as the players will continue with their training several days before the tournament begins.”

The top four teams from the Asia Teams will qualify for the Thomas Cup Finals in Chengdu, China, in April but Malaysia, due to their high team ranking, have all but secured their place.

Malaysia are in Group B with Taiwan, Kazakhstan and Brunei and should occupy the top two positions to reach the quarter-final stage.

Malaysia will open their campaign against Brunei on Feb 13 (Tuesday) and will meet Kazakhstan on Feb 14.

Source – THE STAR