NADZMI, YOU ARE OUT OF LINE

It is clear that BAM President Dato Seri Nadzmi does not know badminton or rather feels that he is now the supreme commander of a force called the Badminton Association of Malaysia.

He is probably disillusioned that during his era as BAM President the shuttlers under him have not delivered the gold medal at the Olympics that he is now dictating terms as to who will carry the nations challenge at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Does he really think Malaysians are fools to believe his charade as he has been warming the seat for the past 12 years and now says we will not win a medal until 2024 as BAM has this grand idea of delivering gold 12 years from now.

The fact of the matter is Nadzmi, you and your team have failed, you have let the nation down and you are now expecting the nation to give you and your merry men 12 more years so that you can continue to lead badminton to lower depths.

And what is more ironic is that you have undermined the Coaching & Training Committee by naming the Rio squad when the meeting is scheduled for September 8.

That is not all for you, upon your arrival at KLIA on August 7 made a statement to the media that Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong should be seperated as a pair, contrary to what Chief Coach Tan Kim Her said in Wembley Arena barely 72 hours earlier.

Maybe it would have been better for you to hold a BAM Council Meeting in London since the junket has now made you into a supremo in every departnent. One wonders why you refuse to chair the C&T Committee in the first place.

Malaysia belongs to Malaysians and not to BAM, comprehend that first and only then you can understand the golden rule of running a national body - that we treat all equal - friends or foes.

It is clear that you have something prsonal against KLRC, or rather Dato Seri Andrew Kam, right from when you opted to support a Korean as the BWF President rather then a Malaysian. And now 8 years own you want to stand as BWF President. Something smells fishy here - a deal that was made 8 years ago went sour?

Your contempt of KLRC by discarding Zulfadli Zulkifli is the straw that will break the camel's back as your statement has now been rebuked by NSC Director General Dato Seri Zolkples Embong, whose statement makes it clear that Malaysia is for Malaysians.

Read on Sir, and get someone to translate should you fail to understand what it means, for we understand it crystal clear.

Sepatutnya semua pemain yang berpotensi hendaklah disenaraikan terutama yang masih muda. Yang terbaik tidak kira di bawah naungan BAM atau kelab, hendaklah diberi keutamaan untuk mewakili negara. 

Cuma Zulfadli mungkin tidak berada di bawah Program BAM kerana memilih untuk berada di bawah KLRC. MSN mengalu-alukan semua pihak yang ingin membantu untuk membangun dan memajukan bakat atlet. Cuma harus dipastikan program latihan dan pendedahan yang mereka sediakan baik dan berkualiti.

Zulfadli telah membuktikan yang beliau adalah pemain yang amat berpotensi dgn menjuarai Kej Remaja Dunia dan beberapa kej yg lain. Tapi apakah pembangunan pemain ini sekarang ini selaras atau mencapai tahap sebagaimana yg diperlukan. Kegagalan untuk maju dalam beberapa kej peringkat antarabangsa akhir-akhir ini agak membimbangkan. Juara Sukan Malaysia di Pahang baru-baru ini bukan ukuran kemampuan beliau kerana beliau seharusnya jadi juara di Melaka 2010 tapi beliau tidak mengambil bahagian.

Sudah tentu berada di bawah naungan BAM banyak memberikan kelebihan kerana mereka mempunyai antara jurulatih yg terbaik, sparring partner yang ramai dan berkualiti serta kemudahan latihan dan khidmat sokongan yg baik. Urusan-urusan logistik dikendalikan oleh pegawai-pegawai sepenuh masa. Tapi beliau memilih untuk berada di bawah KLRC yang pastinya dapat menawarkan kemudahan yang lebih baik dari apa yang disediakan oleh BAM. Semua pihak harus menghormati keputusan ini.

Yang penting sekarang ini ialah semua pihak harus memainkan peranan untuk membantu memajukan bakat yang ada pada pemain ini dan tidak mengambil kesempatan dari potensi yang ada pada beliau. Kalau tidak kita akan kehilangan sebutir lagi permata yang berharga.

FOOTBALL OR RIOTS?

Having read and seen footage of Malaysia Cup matches last night, it will be interesting to see what action will the Football Association of Malaysia take.

At the ATM v Kelantan match, play had to be stopped twice and it was only after riot police took up positions did the match official continue the proceedings.

Now the question that begs to be answered is - knowing very well that it's a high profile match, one that was live on TV, why was the match allowed to start if the security was inadequate?

What was the Match Commissioner, Venue Coordinator as well as the host team doing to ensure the safety of the players and spectators?

Was it a case of putting profits over safety by over selling tickets?

Why were the FRU not stationed around the track as is the standard procedure in such high profile matches?

Will FAM take the blame for the failure of their appointed official ( match commissioner ) for his lackadaisical approach towards such a match?

And finally what happened in Paroi is also no excuse.

Is there any clause as draconian as Article 88 that can now be shafted down the throats of those actually responsible for this mayhem that we call football?

NOTABLE ENTRIES FOR ASIAN 9 BALL INVITATIONAL

The Golden Break Asian 9 Ball Invitational Championship enters its fourth edition now and each year without fail, the players profile improves and participation increases. 

Some notable names in this tournament includes the two young Taiwanese brothers of Ko Pin Yi and 2 times runner up Ko Ping Chung; Defending Champion from Philippines, Lee Vann Corteza and also two pool legends, Efren “The Magician” Reyes and Francisco Bustamante; Seasoned campaigner Muhd Bewi and Jimmy Jusman from Indonesia; Japan and Korea also makes their first appearance including many other familiar faces in international events and TV appearances.

This years’ entries to the main event has been increased from last year's 64 to a total field of 80 players. By the time of the entry closing date, the total player's field to the main event once again had to be adjusted to a total of 96 players, to accommodate overwhelming request from invited countries.

This event is organized by Team Sports Marketing and is sanctioned by the Selangor Snooker and Billiards Association (SSBA). This year the Asian Pocket Billiard Union (APBU) had accepted this event into its annual calendar of event and had generously offered Asian Ranking points to the deserved participants taking part in this event. The number of participating countries had also increased to fifteen countries in total.

With many renown names and frequent campaigners in International Pool tournaments participating in this years' Championship, the stage is set to witness some serious competition and grueling matches between the players over the next few days, striving to be crowned the Champion to this years' 4th Golden Break Asian 9 Ball Invitational Championship 2012!

RETHINK THE NEWS? I THINK NOT

For a paper that professes to provoke open debate The Malay Mail clearly does not dissent when it is the subject of criticism.

Commentators and bloggers who have questioned the content, credibility and direction of the paper have apparently been blackballed by the management.

So much for being an open, fair and objective media.

I stand accused of posting a comment about the paper on a friends Facebook.

All I wrote was RIP The Malay Male, and I guess some have shallow interpretation skills.

And I am told that my stories that the paper used to lift from my blogs and websites will no longer be used.

Actually it's a blessing in disguise for I never charged the paper for the articles they lifted, as I still had a soft spot for the paper gave me a break in journalism in 2000.

But when people do not appreciate the gesture, it's time to tell the truth. Even at the Olympics I wrote them a piece for the badminton final, unappreciated is a kind way to say what type of people I had helped.

Akin to the malay proverb, " melepaskan anjing tersepit" is the best way to describe the situation.

All because of an innocuous comment on a friends Facebook wall.

Despite being ridiculed by my friends for being a loyal reader of a newspaper that has fallen in standards and credibility, I have continued to cough up RM1 per day to support the industry.

But no more. I have decided to stop contributing to your salaries.

The Malay Mail has just lost a reader, another example of the Malaysian media that fails to practice what they preach.

And the image above is proof that I have parted with my hard earned RM1 for the final time.

Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka

KOREA BANS FIXERS

While the Korean BA have banned their shuttlers, as seen by the story below, there is silence from China and Indonesia.

One other way to look at this issue is if it was a kind of racial profiling as it only involved Asian badminton players.

The recommended penalties on Korean badminton players and coaches involved in a match-throwing scandal at the London Olympics were reduced Wednesday, a day after the players appealed the earlier ruling.

The Korea Badminton Association said the four female players -- Jung Kyung-eun, Kim Ha-na, Ha Jung-eun and Kim Min-jung -- will be suspended from domestic and international play for six months, down from the two years recommended last week by its disciplinary committee.

The national team head coach Sung Han-kook and assistant Kim Moon-soo have been suspended for two years. Earlier, the disciplinary committee handed down lifetime bans on both.

The penalties were finalized at the association's board meeting.

Jung and Kim Ha-na formed one women's doubles team, and Ha and Kim Min-jung were the other doubles pair at the London Games. The four, along with a Chinese pair and an Indonesian team, were disqualified from the Olympics after deliberately hitting serves into the net and making other unforced errors, in apparent attempts to purposely lose group stage matches and manipulate knockout stage draws.

Jung and Kim beat Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang of China in straight sets in their group match. The top-seeded Chinese team appeared to be making mistakes on purpose to avoid the No. 2-seeded Chinese tandem, Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei, until the final. They received a warning from a referee.

In the ensuing doubles match, Ha and Kim defeated Greysia Polii and Meiliana Jauhari of Indonesia in three sets, but not before also receiving a warning for deliberately losing points and getting booed off the court. They were accused of trying to avoid facing Wang and Yu in the quarters.

For the first time in Olympics, a combination of a round-robin group stage and a knockout phase was introduced. Sixteen doubles teams were paired into four groups of four, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the quarters. Critics of the format said it could be vulnerable to attempts to manipulate results to set up easier matches in the knockout stage.

Sung and other officials also blamed the Chinese players for forcing the hands of Korean players and making them do the same to avoid tough opponents early.

The Korean badminton governing body handed out the stiff penalties under pressure from the Korean Olympic Committee, which had vowed to take stern measures against match-throwing attempts in all sports. The penalties were soon met with public disapproval, however, for they would essentially end the careers of coaches and players who have made their share of contributions to badminton.

Making her appeal, one of the players claimed she only followed her head coach's orders and said, "I don't understand why we have to be penalized so severely."

In London, Korea earned one bronze medal in badminton for its worst Olympic performance ever. (Yonhap)

BERNAMA CONFUSES

Now where did Lee Chong Wei actually said what he was saying?

Reading two websites has me wondering if what the spin is all about.

This is the www.bernama.com.my version.
"I am keen to set up this foundation even before the London Olympics.

"However, it has to be put aside to focus on the chase for the first Olympics gold medal," he told Bernama TV at the Hari Raya Open House of former athlete Datuk Mumtax Jaafar Sunday.

This is the www.nst.com.my version

"I am keen to set up this foundation even before the London Olympics.

"However, it has to be put aside to focus on the chase for the first Olympics gold medal," he told Bernama TV at the Hari Raya Open House of Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Cabinet Minsiters at Seri Perdana yesterday.

Gives a whole lot different meaning to misquoted.

RIP DATO PUNCH

Former BWF Deputy President and an all time great Dato Punch Gunalan passed away peacefully this morning at 6.20am.

He was instrumental for winning the 1992 Thomas Cup and was a good administrator, one that put Malaysia on the world map.

He will be sorely missed and may his soul rest in peace.

Condolences to his family.

MORE MONEY, LESS MONEY

Reports trickling in from London say that the National Sports Council lament the budget for the development of athletes for the 2012 Olympics which was RM20 million over a period of 4 years in the Road to London program.

But before we go there, the Sports Minister had been quoted last week saying that the Road to London program was a failure - and this was said before Pandelela Rinong won the bronze in diving.

Oddly though the Minister opts to keep his seat when he had said that he would resign if Malaysia failed to get gold at the London Olympics.

Talking about resignations and retirements, there must be somewhat a Bermuda Triangle when fluting back from London to Kuala Lumpur.

Firstly Lee Chong Wei opted to change his mind about calling it quits in 2014 and said he will launch another attempt for gold in 2016.

Then came the announcement by MNCF Deputy President Naim Mohammad who claimed that the media in London got it all wrong about his resignation, as he was stepping down as Chairman of a Committee and not relinquishing his position in MNCF.

But the biggest cake goes to BAM President Dato Nadzmi who it is learnt had told the BAM Council he will announce him stepping down after the Olympics but now says there is so much to do for badminton.

For heavens sake you have had 12 years already taking it to new depths, how much lower do you want it to go?

And mind you the BAM Council members will not question this as they were already rewarded with a junket to the Olympics.

Coming back to the NSC, it will be good if it stops saying things that are stale.

Yes it was RM20 million spent for the failure in Athens in 2004, same amount for a repeat performance in terms of medals of 1996 Atlanta.

But why bother with a post mortem as all they need to do is dust off the report of 2004 which showed the problems crystal clear and just get on implementing the recommendations.

And before I forget, congratulations to Ahmad Shapawi Ismail who will take over as the new National Sports Institute CEO from the acting CEO on August 16.

LI MAO AND JOO BONG ON BAM RADAR?

There is a possibility that Li Mao and Park Joo Bong could well make a return to coaching in Malaysia. In this video BAM Hon. Secretary Ng Chin Chai reveals plans to make some changes to the BAM set-up and mentions the possibility of hiring the duo. It is also learnt that negotiations have commenced.

CHONG WEI APOLOGY

The video shows two time Olympic silver medallist Lee Chong Wei apologising to all Malaysians and thanking them for their support. He also told this blog that he will try his best to fight for gold in the 2016 Olympics if no Malaysian can take his number one spot by then.

SHEDDING TEARS FOR MALAYSIA

By: Lee Chong Wei
Two time Olympic silver medallist

Words cannot describe how I felt when Lin Dan clinched the final point to take the Olympic gold medal at the Wembley Arena on Sunday.

It was as if I was watching a re-run of a movie and I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me.

I had let down my country, my fans, my family and above all myself as I so wanted to win the gold medal. I am truly sorry as I failed to deliver the medal.

If there was something I did, then it was that I managed to unite all Malaysians for one common cause, that sport and unity was the ultimate winner.

Often I have been asked what was going through my mind when the score stood at 19-19. Did I regret letting the shuttle drop that gave Lin Dan the 19th point to draw level. What was my game plan at that time?

To be honest I just focussed at the task at hand. I had no regrets losing the point as some may say I misjudged the flight of the shuttle. However it was going out and I was shocked when it just nicked the line.

Still that did not affect my concentration as I knew I could beat him. But fate dealt me a cruel blow as lady luck was on his sideas the net chord saved him.

When the final point was won, I just collapsed, knowing I had let 28 million Malaysians who were counting on me to win down. And when they played the Chinese national anthem, tears flowed freely as I had dreamt of listening to Negaraku at the famous Wembley Arena.

Some 9 weeks ago there were doubts that I could even step onto the court, but today I can say that the old Chong Wei is alive and kicking. A break of one week and its back to the courts as I resume training, preparing for the Chinese league. My next tournament will be the Japan Open in late September,.

I lost yes, but I gave it my best shot. In a way I am glad that most Malaysians understand that I had given it my all and if I had been born in a different era then things would have been different.

There is only one Lin Dan and in the same way there can only be one Chong Wei.

Lin Dan played very well, raised his game and was devastating with his strokes in the second set. As for me, I managed to neutralise his advantage and when I broke away to lead18-16 it boosted my confidence but alas it was not meant to be.

China had a clean sweep of the gold medals here, as they have done in the past two world championships. And I do not see the domination ending any time soon for they have invested heavily in development, something that we in Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea and Denmark need to do in order to challenge the Chinese supremacy.

The Olympics could well be the swansong of the likes of Peter Gade and Taufik Hidayat but not Chong Wei as I intend to stake my claim in the 2013 World championships as well as the 2014 Asian and Commonwealth Games.

And Lin Dan can be rest assured that he will not have things easy over the next two years.

I thank all Malaysians for their faith in me, apologise for my failure and promise you that I will do my best to bring honours to the country.

THE TELEGRAPH

Gold bar dream ends for Malaysia's Olympic badminton team and Lee Chong Wei after magnate's promise

The Malaysian mining magnate who offered the country's Olympic badminton team a gold bar worth £400,000 if they could land a first ever gold medal said he was unlikely to roll over the incentive to Rio 2016 after the nation’s darling, Lee Chong Wei, fell short in an epic men’s final on Sunday.

Andrew Kam, a badminton lover and gold producer in Kuala Lumpur, offered the enticement to the team – a 12.5kg gold bar – as Malaysia searched for their first gold medal at the Olympics since they first started competing in 1956.

The national sport of Malaysia has yielded two silvers and two bronzes since then, but Chong Wei was seen as a major hope of delivering gold, despite being hampered by injury since May. He fell agonisingly short in the final, going down in three games to nemesis Lin Dan, of China, in a thriller at Wembley Arena.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Kam said: “I hoped my incentive would encourage him to give him that little bit extra to win it. It wasn’t for the money but the message for gold, the ultimate and not to be mediocre.

“Everyone looks at the Olympics and the World Championships aren’t a yearly event. Players don’t rate it as much as the Olympics, so I don’t think there is a need to imply this kind of incentive again.”

It was the second time that Chong Wei had fallen short against Dan, after his Chinese rival beat the Malaysian in Beijing four years’ ago.

Since then, Chong Wei has held the world No 1 spot for just shy of 200 weeks.

GHOST OF WEMBLEY HAUNTS CHONG WEI

Some time last year, Lee Chong Wei was on the brink of a historic world championship title and he lost it to Lin Dan in the final moments.

And that is precisely what happened to Chong wei as he lost the Olympic final to Lin Dan 21-15, 10-21,19-21 in a repeat of that epic encounter.

Four years ago Chong Wei got a silver and it was gold that he was looking for. But that never came and for Malaysia as a nation the wait for the elusive gold continues.

It was an apprehensive start as they were tied point for point until 3-3 until Chong Wei broke clear for a 5-3 lead.

But two delicate drop shots by Lin Dan on either side of Chong Wei's court allowed the Chinese to draw level at 5-5.

Lin dan went ahead 6-5 but the resilient Chong Wei executed a cross court drop to draw level before winning the duel at the net to lead 7-6.

The duo were tied till 8-8 before Chong Wei reeled off three points on the trot to take a11-8 lead at the break. The eleventh point came when the chair umpire over ruled a call by the linesman.

Chong Wei raced to a four point lead, 15-11 as a result of forcing Lin Dan back onto the baseline and making mistakes with his cross court drives that he uses to deadly effect.

After gaining another point to lead 16-11, Chong Wei made a judgement error at the baseline to hand the point to Lin Dan.

A leaping cross court smash had Lin dan beaten all the way as Chong Wei extended his lead to 18-13 before making a right call to leave the shuttle to collect the 19th point.

Though Lin Dan reduced the deficit to 19-15, Chong Wei was not about to let it slip away and collected the next two points to take the first set 21-15.

The second set saw Lin Dan race to an early 3-1 lead but Chong Wei was soon level at 3-3. However Lin Dan showed his brilliant strokes to deceive Chong Wei and take a 8-6 lead.

A long rally which saw the two players showing exquisite skills ended when Lin dan send his drop out and Chong Wei was a point behind the defending champion at 8-7.

But Lin Dan was not going to let his gold slip away as he reeled off three point in a row to lead 11-7 at the break with Chong Wei wondering how to break the Chinese players defence.

Lin dan started dominating the match, with Chong Wei finding no answers to his net play and power play, often catching the Malaysian on the back foot.

The Chinese raced to a 16-8 lead and by then Chong Wei knew it was a lost cause in the second as he let go of it to go down 10-21.

The lead exchanged hands in the early stages of the third set until Chong Wei had a two point lead at 7-5. A long rally ensued for the next point and Lin Dan uncharateristically sent the shuttle wide to give Chong Wei a 8-5 lead.

The chair umpire then over ruled a line judge to give Lin Dan the next point and he soon levelled it at 8-8 when Chong Wei put the shuttle into the net.

It was all Lin dan at this stage as Chong Wei made many unforced errors at the net to hand Lin dan the advantage 11-9 at the break.

But Chong Wei was unfazed as he drew level at 13-13 and collected the next two points with pin point body smashes to lead 15-13.

A smash into the net in a seemingly winning position allowed Lin Dan to level it at 15-15. At this point it was still anybody's game.

A net chord shot in favour of Lin Dan made it 16-16 but the Chinese made a big blunder by hitting a shot into the net to give Chong Wei a one point advantage, four points seperating Malaysian from a gold medal.

Another rushed smash into the net by Lin Dan made it 18-16 but he atoned for the mistake with a breathtaking smash from the baseline to reduce the deficit to just one point and Wembley Arena was going crazy when the score was 18-18.

Though Chong Wei got the 19th point, his misjudged a baseline shot to allow Lin Dan level. And the Chinese took the next point to be within a point of retaining the gold.

And it was all over, as the ghost of Wembley continued to haunt Chong Wei who slumped onto the court, truly a king without a crown.

DREAMS DASHED

The dream of Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong of winning a medal at the London Olympics went up in smoke as they were defeated byChung Jae Sung/Lee Yong Dae 23-21, 21-10 in the bronze medal playoff at the Wembley Arena.

And it all boiled down to their inability to finish off their opponents in the first set where they took a 19-13 lead. But it was a case of two points too far as they succumbed under the Korean onslaught to lose the set 23-21. In the second they had no answer, beaten both mentally and physically.

"It was our mistake and we blew it. That was the turning point of the match as we thought we had the first set wrapped up. Somehow our concentration slipped and we just could not get back into the game," said Koo.

It was a costly defeat as they missed out on the RM150,000 incentive by the government as well as the monthly pension scheme of RM1,500 each.

Playing well until the collapse, the Malaysian pair were guilty of trying to rush their shots. And their defensive game also was in shambles.

"We were not playing our game and made too many mistakes and did not slow down the tempo to disrupt the fightback," said Tan.

DOING IT FOR MALAYSIA

By: Lee Chong Wei

 

 

As I step on to the court for the final against Lin Dan on Sunday, I know I will not be alone.

 

For accompanying me will be the prayers of 28 million Malaysians, as they stand united with one wish, that I deliver the gold medal for Malaysia, thus ending our drought since Malaysia’s first participation in Olympics at Melbourne in 1958.

 

I have received thousands of messages and I thank each and everyone for their continued faith in me.

 

This is it, the day I have been waiting for since Beijing 2008. It is not a question of seeking revenge nor is it something that had haunted me since that loss four years ago.

 

On that day it was Lin Dan who reigned supreme as he had things going for him, home support, familiarity with the venue and I admit was the better player on that day.

 

And then again who can forget the one that slipped away last year, the World Championships that was in my grasp until fate dealt a bitter blow to me.

 

Redemption is the key word as I attempt to bury the ghost of Wembley and create Malaysian history.

 

The past week has been difficult, at times more difficult then the rehabilitation process that I underwent after injuring my ankle in May.

 

At times I asked myself if I still had it to make to the final, for nor was I fit as to my liking nor was I at the peak of my game. And then there was the question of phobia, for stepping onto court was not easy in the first match against Ville Lang.

 

It was a poor start, not something that I had expected and I had to sit down with my coaches Tey Seu Bock and Rashid Sidek to go through the match again and see where I had gone wrong.

 

It was against Simon Santoso that I really started feeling comfortable as my strokes were returning, I was moving around better on court and above all I started playing like what I used to.

Going back onto the injury I suffered, even I feel blessed to have had such good care from those in the National Sports Institute who worked tirelessly to help me onto the path towards Wembley Arena.

 

Who would have thought that I will be able to qualify for the finals of the Olympics? Even I had my doubts but at the same time the fact that the nation was counting on me kept me going as I fought through the pain barrier.

 

Spending 13 hours on training and rehabilitation eventually paid off and we square off tomorrow (Sunday) history has been created. For it will be the first time in Olympic badminton that two players have made it to the final in consecutive Olympics.

 

Lin Dan no doubt is the overwhelming favourite as he has beaten me numerous times and is expected to do the same here. It is perfectly fine that he holds the advantage before the match starts.

 

One must always remember that it is not what happens before the match or how a match starts, but it is how it ends that matters.

 

The rewards are there, the pledge by the government and the RM2 million gold bar by KLRC Berhad. Gold for gold is the key word that was coined by Dato Seri Andrew Kam and it has gained worldwide acknowledgment.

 

My hope is that Malaysia stands united and on my part I will give it my very best on the court. I will play as if my life depends on it and aim to end our wait for gold.

 

ALL OVER FOR KOO/TAN

Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong were blown off the court by a devastating display by China's Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng in the mens doubles semi finals of the London Olympics at the Wembley Arena.

It took just 34 minutes for the Chinese players to register a 21-9, 21-19 win and as for the Malaysians they will now have to try win the bronze medal.

Though they failed to make the final, coach Tan Kim Her said that he has decided to retain the pair until the 2014 Asian Games.

"Yes there were plans to split them up after the Olympics but their performances here have justified that they be retained as a pair until the Asian Games at least," said Kim Her.

"They played well overall here and the defeat in the semis was due to the fact that the Chinese were able to counter everything we tried against them.

"It is back to the drawing boards as we find ways to overcome the Chinese and Korean pairs."

Koo however preferred to talk about the bronze medal playoff rather then talk about their future.

"We made just too many errors in the first set and before we know it the lead was to big to chase. One cannot give them the upperhand and we just were unable to cope with them," said Koo.

"We just have to put this behind us and look towards the bronze medal play off. As for the future let's talk about it after the Olympics as there are just too many things to consider."

The first set was over with the blink of the eyes as the Chinese were all over Koo/Tan, racing to a 13-6 lead as the Malaysians were searching for answers.

And it was all over in 13 minutes as the Chinese raced to a 21-9 win.

It was a much better performance in the sercond as it was a point for point battle until 9-9 before the Chinese pair pulled away to lead 13-11.

However they Chinese pair was surely a class above as they extended their lead to 18-13 before wrapping up their place in the final with a 21-19 win.

CHONG WEI IN THE FINAL

With the prayers and encourgement from his mother Khoo Kim Sui who was in the spectator area, Lee Chong Wei has qualified for his second consecutive final when he trashed Chen Long 21-13, 21-14 at the Wembley Arena.

It was a load of the shoulders for Chong Wei who suffered an ankle injury that threatened to derail his Olympic hopes. However he showed much resilience and thanks to the care and attention by the National Sports Institute, Chong Wei turned the impossible to reality.

"I cannot explain just what this means to me. It is a load off my shoulders as the entire hopes of Malaysia were on me to deliver a medal. A silver is certain but that is not what I am looking at," said Chong Wei.

"Four years ago the situation was different as it was held in Lin Dan's backyard and now its at a neutral venue. Yes this place has bad memories for me since I was a step away from winnng the world title last year.

"The strategy was to take the first set and not allow Chen Long to dictate the play. I had a great start and he was left wondering what hit him I guess.

"My mothers presence had a calming affect on me and I am glad I won this semis as many did not give me a ghost of a chance considering that I was unable to walk two months ago.

"But I proved them wrong and the win today is something that gives me added confidenceto take on Lin dan this Sunday."

Chong Wei had a great start as he mesmerised Chen Long with neat drops and precise smashes to take a 6-0 lead.

A half court return allowed Chen Long to collect his fisrt point at 7-1, and he followed that up with a second point, quicker at the net.

Looking confident, showing no signs of any ankle injury, Chong Wei allowed Chen Long another three points to lead 11-4 at the break.

Chen Long started using his drops effectively to catch Chong Wei as he improved on his defence to narrow the deficit to 13-7. But a misjudged shot at the baseline handed the serve to Chong Wei at 14-7.

Chong Wei dived at full length to retrieve a drop and picked himself up but lost the point when the score stood at 18-8. Such was his determination.

He sent a smash out to hand Chen Long his tenth point, but the Chinese sent his shot wide to hand the Malaysian a 19-10 lead.

A leaping smash by Chong wei gave him the set point. And another Chen Long blunder at the baseline gave Chong Wei the first set at 21-13 in 23 minutes.

In the second, Chong Wei took a 2-1, then 3-2 with some good controlled play at the net. He extended his lead to 5-2 and then 6-3 but allowed Chen Long to draw level at 6-6.

Such was Chong Wei's domination that he was one steph ahead of Chen Long, anticipating every shot and took a 9-6 lead.

Two errors at the net allowed chen Long to reduce the deficit to 8-10 but once again he sent the shuttle wide of the baseline to allow Chong Wei a 11-9 lead at the break.

Chen Long was losing focus and made uncharacteristic mistakes to allow Chong Wei to lead 13-9 before unleashing a smash to win the serve at 10-13.

Chong Wei played a last minute shot, thinking the shuttle was out and that caught Chen Long who smashed it into the net to give Chong Wei a 14-10 lead.

He pulled away to lead 16-11 but Chen Long was not giving up without a fight as tried to push the Malaysian all over the court and reduced the deficit to 13-16.

Another smash into the net gave Chong Wei a 18-13 lead and the final was on the horizon.

He finished it off in 28 minutes to take the second set 21-14. And created history in the process.

"It was a good performance, very disciplined and focussed. Chong Wei has proven that he is made out of sterner stuff and the whole of Malaysia should be proud of him<' said his coach Tey Seu Bock.

"As coaches we do so much, its the player that has to deliver on the court."

REGARDING KOO

Koo Kien Keat has often been labelled as the rebel without a cause in Malaysian badminton.

But the often misunderstood personality has been showing remarkable form in the ongoing London Olympics.

If one was to observe he has a tattoo on his arm with Chinese characters that read "glory".

" I hope to raise the arm in triumph when we win a medal at the Olympics so that all can see that the glory is ours," chuckled Koo when asked by this blogger.

Critics have been hitting hard at him and often coaches and officials are at wits ends trying to understand and handle his mood swings and temperament , be it on or off the court.

But the ten days he spent in Bath prior to the London Olympics has given him fresh perspective on just how to bring the best out of him.

"People often say that I am no longer the player or the person I was when I won the Asian Games gold medal in Doha in 2006," he said after the quarterfinal match on Thursday at Wembley Arena.

"That really got me thinking what has changed in me.

"So I sat alone in my room in Bath and reflected on things, watching videos of the matches of 2006 and 2007.

"I realized I was not playing in the same manner I played then, my game had changed.

"I was playing to how people wanted me to play and not playing what I ought to be playing. The element of fun was no longer in the game but pressure replaced it."

Koo revealed that his actions were often misconstrued, that he was not good at taking instructions and keeping with tactics decided.

"I am what I am, that I cannot change, friendly, approachable and often jest on court," revealed Koo.

"But my antics on court are to relieve tension and not aimed at mocking anyone, not even my opponents."

Preparations for the semis clash are ongoing as Koo and his parter Tan Boon Heong are trying to find chinks in the amour of the mighty Chinese.

"We will be the underdogs this time around and really there is no pressure on us at all," said Boon Heong.

"We have nothing to lose so will be relaxed on court. It's a matter of playing the right tactics and cutting down on mistakes.

"One step away from a medal and that's motivation for us."

CHONG WEI TAMES KASHYAP TO MAKE SEMIS

Lee Chong Wei booked a place in the semis of the London Olympics when he defeated India's Kashyap Parpulli 21-19, 21-11 at the Wembley Arena.

And he declared that he was ready for Chen Long in the semi finals which will take place at 1330H London time ( 8.30pm Malaysian time).

"I must give credit to Kashyap as he stretched me in the first set. He has improved much from the last I played him at the Danish Open," said a rather relaxed looking Chong Wei after the match.

"It was good that I have a tough match before playing Chen Long as this suits my preparations. Although he was leading for a larger part of the first set, I never had a doubt that I will win the set. It was a question of nerves and mine held better.

"As for the semis, that has been the focus and my coaches and video analysts have been preparing me for that. He is surely a tough opponent and I would rate our chances as equal.

"I am mentally and physically prepared for the battle tomorrow and am optimistic that I can overcome him, playing the right tactics."

Chong Wei struggled early in the first set as he trailed 4-9 at one stage. He managed to reduce the deficit to 8-10 but was faulted by the chair umpire to give Kashyap a 11-8 lead at the break.

Though Chong wei managed to be within a point of his opponent at 11-12, he seemed apprehensive using his smashes, opting to rally, which suited his younger opponent better.

It was point for point as Kashyap extended his laed to 14-12 but Chong Wei managed to draw level at 14-14.

It was point for point after that with Kashyap drawing Chong Wei to the net and winning the duels but making mistakes sending the shuttle out as they were tied 17-17.

Kashyap took a 19-18 lead as Chong Wei sent the shuttle out at the baseline. But a deep drop once agains got him level.

And for only since the first point of the match did Chong Wei take the lead at 20-19 when his drop caught Kashyap. He went on to clinch the first set 21-19.

Chong Wei upped the tempo as he took an early 4-2 lead before extending it to 9-4 with Kashyap searching for answers.

And with Kashyap strunggling to keep pace, Chong Wei displayed superior court craft as he took six consecutive points to lead 19-8. It was sheer joy as he won 21-11.

"Chong Wei played into the opponents style of play in the first set and hence struggled<' said coach Tey Seu Bock.

"It will be tough against Chen Long but in order to win medals Chong Wei has to overcome such opponents. I am happy with his overall outlook of the game and he is in the right frame of mind."

KOO/TAN COAST INTO SEMIS

Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong qualified for the semi finals of the London Olympics men's doubles competition by defeating Bodin Isara/Maneepong Jongjit of Thailand 21-16.21-18 at the Wembley Arena this morning.

It will be a first appearance for a Malaysian pair in the doubles semis since Choong Tan Fook/Lee Wah Wah achieved it at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

They will take on China's Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng who booked their spot with an easy 21-15,21-19 win over compatriats Chai Biao/Guo Zhengdong.

Playing with zest and plenty of determination, the Malaysians raised their game and were deserving winners as the Thai's wilted under pressure.

"It was a sleepless night for me as my mind was on the game. One can say i was nervous but once the match got underway I gained in confidence," said Koo.

"Making the semis is good but taking it another step is what we want to do. It is the final that were are aiming for as that will assure us of a medal.

"The key today was we had an explosive start, catching the Thai's at the own game. But we need to cut down on our errors and giving away points cheaply.

It was a runaway start for the Malaysians as they raced to a 9-0 lead with Koo serving. The Thais had no answer to the devastating smashes of Tan while Koo was agile in the front, often cathing the opponents off guard with his deft flicks.

They extended their lead to 15-6 but then mistakes started creeping in as Koo/Tan made unforced errors. The Thais crept up to 17-11 as they got their act together.

Though Koo/Tab led 19-12, the Thai's collected four points and were just three off the Malaysians when Maneepong sent his shot into the net, giving Koo/Tan the set point. And they made it at the first time of asking to win the first set 21-16 in 17 minutes.

In the second it was the same scenario as Koo/Tan raced to a 4-2 led before reeling off another four points in a row to lead 8-2. They however started making mistakes once again, giving easy points at the net to allow the Thai's two points.

Koo/Tan got their act together and showed good defensive skills to lead 11-4 at the break, looking confident as they were given pointers by coach Tan Kim Her.

But their game was in tatters as they allowed the Thai's back into the match despite holding a 16-10 lead at one stage to just a two point lead of 18-16.

However they kept their composure to take the set 21-18 in 23 minutes and booked their place in the semis.

"My heart felt like coming out of my body as I was so nervous. It is different then playing in other competitions as this is the Olympics," said Tan.

"Now we are another step nearer to the elusive gold medal and you can be rest assured that we will do our best against the Chinese. We may be the underdogs but that tag suits us just fine."

CHONG WEI IN QUARTERS

Lee Chong Wei qualified for the last eight of the mens singles competition with a devastating display to send Simon Santoso packing with a 21-12, 21-8 win.

He will take on Kashypa Parupalli of India in the last eight. Kashyap had defeated Sri Lanka's Niluka Karuraratne 21-14, 15-21, 21-9 earlier.

The duo have met twice, with Chong Wei winning both the matches at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in new Delhi and the 2011 Denmark Open, both in straight games.

"Though I may have beaten him before, its a totally different situation as he had defeated Nguen (Tien Minh) at the group stage and looks fairly confident," said Chong Wei.

"No opponents ought to be treated lightly and I expect him to give it his best shot as he has nothing to lose.

"I thoroughly enjoyed myself on court as everything worked well and it was also an easier then expected win.

"The three setter in the group match acutually worked ou well as it gave me the much needed practice to work on certain shots. Now its another hurdle that I have to cross and with the prayers of all Malaysians I am optimistic of making the last four."

Chong Wei took an early lead at 5-1 only for Simon to reduce the deficit to just one point. However some deft touches allowed Chong Wei to move ahead to 8-5 before he misjudged a baseline shot to allow Simon to move another point up.

A neat drop shot gave the Malaysian a 11-7 lead at the break.

Chong Wei then raced to a 17-10 lead with some neat attacking play, but it was his net play that kept letting him down.

And a neat deceptive drop shot ensured Chong wei a 21-12 lead, and he took the first set 21-12 in just 17 minutes.

The second set started similar to the first as Chong Wei raced to a 7-2 lead before commiting another bad baseline judgement and Simon collected two points to reduce the deficit to 7-4.

There was no looking abck as Chong Wei reeled off eight consecutive points to lead 18-6 and allowed Simon only another 2 points before sealing off a 21-8 win, also in 17 minutes.

EIGHT PLAYERS DISQUALIFIED

UPDATE:

BWF throws out appeal by Korean and Indonesian women doubles pair. Says no further action on them and Chinese pair. Replacements for the four players are: Valerie Sorokina/Nina Vislova ( Russia), Alex Bruce/Michelle Li (Canada), Leanne Choo/Renuga Veeran (Australia) and Michelle Edwards/Annari Viljoen ( South Africa) 

The World Badminton Federation, it is learnt, has slammed the door on four women's doubles players that did not play their final group matches at the Olympics in the right spirit.

The controversy prompted the international federation to charge eight players for failing to adhere to the sports code of conduct.

And China's number one player Lin Dan  criticised the Badminton World Federation for instituting a system that was ripe for manipulation.

"I think it will definitely bring a negative impact, because all of these fans came to watch this tournament," the 28-year-old told reporters at Wembley Arena.

"This situation really is not in the Olympic sporting spirit."

The players involved were China's world champions Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang, Indonesia's Greysia Polii and Meiliana Jauhari and two South Korean pairs - Jung Kyung-eun and Kim Ha-na, and Ha Jung-eun and Kim Min-jung.

Spectators at the Wembley Arena shouted abuse and jeered at the players as badminton matches descended into farce, with the teams deliberately spraying shots and duffing serves into the net to concede points.

Top seeds Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang and South Koreans Jung Kyung-eun and Kim Ha-na were booed off court after in which players regularly served into the net or hit wide apparently on purpose.

Both pairs were already into the last 16, with the winners set to face the Chinese second seeds, Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei. An unexpected loss by Tian and Zhao in an earlier round had confused the draw.

The Korean pair eventually won that game, keeping the two Chinese teams apart and prompting the South Korean to attack China for ignoring the Olympic spirit. Yang later claimed that she and her partner had been "conserving energy".

But with the draw now queered, the crowd's mood did not improve when a similar scenario unfolded during the game between Korean number three seeds and the Indonesians. At one point match referee Thorsten Berg disqualified Indonesia but they were reinstated after an appeal.

A DATE WITH THE THAIS

Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong lost 21-16,21-11 in a lacklusture display to Korea's Chung Jae Sung/Lee Yong Dae in their final Group D match at the Wembley Arena. But they still make the quarterfinals scheduled for Thursday where they take on Thailand's Isara Bodin/Jongjit Maneepong.

 

Contrary to stats provided, the two pairs have played each other in the SEA Games in 2009 when the Malaysians edging the Thai's who were three years younger and inexperienced.

"We played them at the SEA Games and they showed promise then. And they have also being playing well here," said Boon Heong.

"It will not be easyplaying them as they defeated fancied pairs enroute to topping the table so we will give them the due respect."

It was a poor performance and one could be forgiven for thinking that the Malaysians threw the match for a match up against the Thai's rather then the Indonesian pairing of Mohammad ahsan/Bona Septano.

"We did not play to lose but lost to a more technically superior opponent. Of course if we meet them again, it will be a totally different story," said Koo.

However the defeat means that they will play China's Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng in the semis, should they get past the quarterfinal challenge.

The Malaysians led 7-4 in the first but once the Koreans took the lead there was no looking back as they edged ahead 11-10 at the break.

Koo/Tan sent shots wide of the sidelines and did not look to worried losing the points as they lost 21-16 in the first set.

It was the same story as the Malaysians folded easily 21-11.

"We tried a couple of things and it worked at the initial stages but once the Koreans read it we were put on the back foot," said coach Tan Kim Her.

"We have been monitoring the Thai pair and will analyse the videos for a game plan against them."

STERN TEST FOR CHONG WEI

Lee Chong Wei will have to thread with caution if he harbours hopes of ending the nations hopes of landing a gold medal at the London Olympics.

For his performance in the first match against Ville Lang was anything but convincing. And Chong Wei realises the fact that he has to show marked improvement if he wants to get the better of Indonesia's Simon Santoso, his opponent tomorrow.

The fact that the Indonesian refuses to buy the story that Chong Wei is injured is a statement that he is taking the match seriously and has his game plan laid out as evident when speaking to him.

"I saw no signs of Chong Wei being injured when I watched him train before the event got underway. So I doubt there is any issues with his ankle," said Simon.

"He is a great player and it will be tough to match him but I will have to take one set off him to stand a chance of an upset.

"There is everything to play for and I am going to give it my best shot. Come what may, I will not let Chong Wei go past me easily."

Wary of the ability of the Indonesian who Chong Wei beat last at the finals of the Super Series Finals last December, Chong Wei stated that he was mentally and physically prepared for the match.

"I admit I played badly in the first match but that was akin to taking baby steps as It was my first match after returning from injury," said Chong Wei.

"The ankle hurts at times but I put it at the back of my head and concentrate at the task before me, that is to win matches.

"It was a wake up call for me and I will do my best to get past Simon."

The path to the semis is wide open for Chong Wei following the exit of 8th seend Kenichi Tago and 10th seed Nguyen Tien Minh.

Chong Wei will have to contend with Sri Lanka's Niluka Karuraratne or India's Kashyap Parpulli in the last eight, if he gets past the stern test of Simon.

OCM TO ACT

The Olympic Council of Malaysia will take over with regards to the attire of the Malaysian contingents in multi sports events in the future.

Having seen and heard enough with regards to the issue of the contingent's attire at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, OCM President Tunku Tan Sri Imran Tuanku Jaafar said that it had been OCM's domain in the past but the government had taken over over two decades.

"Having given serious consideration and looking at the issue with regards to the attire in London, we have decided that it will be OCM that will determine the attire for multi sports events from now on, " said Imran when met at the sidelines of the Olympics.

"It is our responsibility and we have to ensure that experimenting has to stop and we need to come out with a design that reflects Malaysia and recognisable in the international arena.

"We have to move forward and not find fault nor point fingers. OCM will have to be innovative and look into this matter seriously."

The issue of the attire has been the butt of jokes in the international arena as well as in cyber space. And there has been silence from the Minister of Youth and Sports.

Another aspect is the uniformity as can be seen in the picture above with one athlete wearing red shoes, as opposed to the others wearing black.

And there are also issues such as more officials marching then athletes, but lets keep that for another day.