Latest news with #AidilSholehAliSadikin
Malay Mail
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Malay Mail
A shuttler at home abroad: Taiwan's Chou Tien Chen finds his badminton family in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 — For Taiwan's top men's singles shuttler Chou Tien Chen, competing in Malaysia means more than just chasing titles, it's about building lasting friendships and finding what he describes as a 'second home' on court. Every time Tien Chen arrives in Malaysia for tournaments, the world number seven makes it a point to train with local players, cherishing both the camaraderie and competitive spirit he finds here. Among those he regularly hits the court with are two-time Paralympic gold medallist Cheah Liek Hou and professional shuttler Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin, all under the guidance of experienced coach Nova Armada. The 34-year-old said he values the warm welcome and high-quality sparring he receives in Malaysia, a country that continues to play a key role in his preparations. 'My teammates from Taiwan also join me in training here. Liek Hou and coach Nova are good friends of mine. They always welcome me to train here,' he told reporters during the Malaysia Masters 2025 at Axiata Arena. Tien Chen also shared that he plans to remain in Malaysia for training before heading to his next assignment, the Singapore Open 2025, scheduled from May 27 to June 1. He will open his campaign in Singapore with an all-Taiwan clash against compatriot Chi Yu Jen. Earlier, Tien Chen suffered a surprise straight-sets defeat at the hands of India's Sathish Kumar Karunakaran, going down 13-21, 14-21 in the opening round of the Malaysia Masters. The third seed admitted he struggled to handle Sathish's dominance at the net, which forced him into a series of uncharacteristic errors. So far, 2025 has been a challenging year for Tien Chen. Out of nine tournaments, his best showing came at the Taiwan Open, where he finished as runner-up. Despite the setbacks, Tien Chen remains determined to fight his way back to top form, staying committed to his training and long-term goals. — Bernama
Barnama
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Barnama
Shuttler Aidil Sholeh Has Coach Nova To Thank For Rise In rankings
KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 (Bernama) -- National men's singles shuttler Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin has gone from being dropped by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) last year to breaking into the top 50 ranking of the world's top players. The 25-year-old, who is now ranked 48th in the world, attributed his rise to the guidance provided by his coach from Indonesia, Nova Armada, who continued to train him despite him (Aidil Sholeh) not being a BAM player. "It's been a year since I left BAM. I am more confident and now my ranking is on the up as is my performance. bootstrap slideshow "Before I quit (BAM), he (Nova) contacted me and said he wanted to train me. He felt that I could go far. That was the best opportunity (for me to raise my performance level),' he told reporters at the 2025 Malaysia Masters here today. In March, Aidil Sholeh bagged his maiden title as a professional shuttler when he captured the Sri Lanka International Challenge after defeating India's Pranay Katta 21-19, 21-15. He is also grateful to have had the opportunity to spar with some of the world's top players, including world number nine Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan and world number 30 Brian Yang of Canada, whenever they came to Malaysia. Aidil Sholeh added that he is targeting to be among the world's top 32 players by the end of this year, thus paving the way for him to compete in more world-class championships. Earlier, his third Malaysia Masters appearance, however, did not go to plan as he crashed out in the qualifying round, losing 21-8, 17-21, 18-21 to Taiwan's Huang Yu Kai at the Axiata Arena here. He admitted to being disappointed with his performance at the Super 500 tournament, especially after failing to capitalise on his first-game win.
New Straits Times
19-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Aidil armed with confidence after Thai battle
KUALA LUMPUR: Though he didn't go far in last week's Thailand Open, Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin has done enough to give himself a good dose of confidence for the Malaysia Masters which starts at Axiata Arena tomorrow. The independent shuttler did quite well in battling his way through the qualifiers and reaching the second round of the Thailand Open. He has never gone this far in a Super 500 event previously. In Bangkok, world No. 48 Aidil put up a commendable fight against China's world No. 14 Lu Guang Zu before going down 21-18, 16-21, 14-21. Now, the 25-year-old hopes to build on that momentum at the Malaysia Masters. "I'm quite happy with my performance in Thailand. I was able to compete with a world top 20 player like Guang Zu," said Aidil. He will once again have to navigate the qualifying rounds for a place in the main draw of the Malaysia Masters. If Aidil makes the tournament proper, he will face Taiwan's world No. 7 and third seed Chou Tien Chen in the opening round. The two last met in the second round of the Taiwan Open two weeks ago, with the Malaysian losing in straight games. "I aim to reach the main draw again, but it won't be easy," said Aidil today. If Aidil meets Tien Chen again, the former will remind himself to be patient. "I wasn't patient enough in that match (Taiwan Open) and made too many errors. If I had reduced my mistakes, I believe the result would have been different." Aidil, who parted ways with BAM last year to train under Indonesian Nova Armada, will meet Taiwan's world No. 79 Huang Yu Kai in the first round of the Malaysia Masters qualifiers.
Barnama
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Barnama
Malaysia Masters: Aidil Sholeh Fired Up For Redemption On Home Turf
KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 (Bernama) -- National professional men's singles shuttler, Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin is eyeing redemption against Taiwan's Chou Tien Chen in the qualifying round of the Malaysia Masters 2025, which gets underway this Tuesday at the Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil here. Competing on home turf, Aidil Sholeh believes the host advantage will give him a much-needed boost to upset the seasoned Taiwanese player and secure a spot in the tournament's main draw. 'Playing in front of the home crowd gives me that extra motivation. I know it won't be easy, but my goal is to make it into the main draw. If I can get past Tien Chen, it would be a great start,' he said during a training session at Axiata Arena today. bootstrap slideshow The Selangor-born player last faced Chou at the Taiwan Open earlier this month but suffered a straight-sets defeat, 14-21, 16-21, in the second round. Reflecting on that match, the 25-year-old admitted the loss was largely due to his unforced errors, a costly lesson he hopes to turn around at the Malaysia Masters. 'I was too impatient in Taiwan and made too many mistakes. If I can cut down on those, I believe I can put up a strong fight,' he said confidently. Meanwhile, Aidil Sholeh expressed satisfaction with his performance at the Thailand Open last week, where he upset China's world No. 32 Wang Zheng Xing 21-12, 19-21, 21-17 in the opening round. However, his campaign ended in the second round after falling to another Chinese contender, Lu Guang Zu, in a tight three-setter: 21-18, 16-21, 14-21. Now riding on that momentum, the world No 48 is fired up to deliver his best performance at home and make an impact in the Super 500 tournament.
New Straits Times
15-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Shuttler Aidil impresses in Thailand despite second-round exit
KUALA LUMPUR: Independent shuttler Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin's gallant run at the Thailand Open came to an end on Thursday after a hard-fought battle with world No. 14 Lu Guang Zu. World No. 48 Aidil made a bright start against the Chinese ace but was eventually overpowered 18-21, 21-16, 21-14 in a 69-minute second-round clash at the Nimibutr Stadium. Despite the defeat, it was a career-best result at a Super 500 event for the 23-year-old, who continues to impress ahead of the Malaysia Masters next week. Aidil, who was dropped by the BA of Malaysia (BAM) in June last year, has steadily climbed the ranks under the guidance of independent coach Nova Armada. He clinched the Sri Lanka International Challenge title in March, a breakthrough that helped him crack the top 50. That milestone earned him a spot in the Thailand Open, his first Super 500 appearance on the BWF World Tour. Aidil had to battle through the qualifying rounds in Bangkok and will face a similar challenge at the Malaysia Masters at the Axiata Arena, where he opens his campaign against world No. 65 Hang Yu Kai of Taiwan in the first round.
