Latest news with #IndonesianOpen


The Star
an hour ago
- General
- The Star
Tze Yong's injury an issue for Jonassen in plan to assemble strong Thomas Cup squad
PETALING JAYA: National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen is fully aware that the injury to his charge, Ng Tze Yong, could disrupt his plans to assemble the strongest line-up for the 2026 Thomas Cup. Although the tournament in Horsens, Denmark, is still about a year away, scheduled for April or May, Jonassen knows time is running short to build a formidable men's singles squad capable of mounting a strong challenge at the prestigious team competition. What makes the task even more daunting is his own admission that it would take a near miracle for any up-and-coming player to impress him enough to earn a spot in the Thomas Cup squad. At present, the men's singles squad comprise just five players, among them Leong Jun Hao, Justin Hoh, Eogene Ewe and young talent Kong Zhou Swin, who was recently promoted to the senior team. As such, Jonassen and the singles coaching team are focused on sharpening the skills of these existing players to ensure they are able to compete with the top names in the sport. 'Now, the injury to Tze Yong obviously affects things a little, but we'll see. Overall, I'm working towards a goal where we can produce a line-up that's capable of challenging the best. 'Of course, purely based on world rankings, we're not at the level of the top nations. They are ranked much higher, and unless we do something spectacular over the next eight to 10 months, we won't surpass them in the rankings. 'With less than 12 months to go before this major championship, I would be very surprised if a junior player could make the kind of progress needed to perform at that level. So we'll be coming in as underdogs. But for me, it's about being able to deliver a strong performance, and potentially that crucial win, on the day it matters most,' said Jonassen. At the same time, Jonassen is not ready to disclose the details of Tze Yong's injury, despite rumours that the 25-year-old suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during his first-round match against Angus Ng Ka Long at the Malaysian Masters two weeks ago. It is a tough situation for Tze Yong, who only made his return in April after a year-long break due to a back injury. The injury sustained by Tze Yong has forced him to withdraw from last week's Singapore Open and this week's Indonesian Open.


The Star
an hour ago
- General
- The Star
Something amiss as Ratchanok's name missing from registration list in Jakarta
PETALING JAYA: Former world champion Ratchanok Intanon has been left bitterly disappointed after missing out on the Indonesian Open at Istora Senayan this week, with her name omitted from the tournament's official registration list. The unexpected situation has caused confusion not just for the 30-year-old shuttler, but also for her club, the Banthongyord Badminton School, who were responsible for handling her entry into the prestigious tournament. In a statement, Banthongyord said they had followed the standard procedures they had always adhered to when registering players for international competitions. This included submitting all the necessary documents, including the list of players under the club, to the national body, the Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT). However, the club were shocked to learn that when the tournament got underway yesterday, Ratchanok's name was missing from the list, dashing her hopes of competing in Jakarta. To make matters worse, the club said they had not been informed of the reason behind the omission. 'The Banthongyod Badminton School would like to clarify that in the past, we have sent documents confirming their participation in every competition within the specified time frame. 'Similarly, for the 2025 Indonesian Open competition, the Banthongyod Badminton School have sent documents and a list of athletes to apply to participate in the competition under the specified procedures and time frame as usual to the agency that oversees the sending of athletes from Thailand to the BWF as usual. 'Later, the agency informed that Ratchanok Intanon's name was not in the 2025 Indonesian Open. The exact reason for the name's absence this time is unknown. 'The relevant parties helped coordinate with BWF to add the name, but were unable to do so because the deadline for submitting names according to the BWF's schedule had already passed,' said Banthongyord. According to the Badminton World Federation's (BWF) regulations, the deadline for player registration for the Indonesian Open was April 22 — and late entries are not accepted under any circumstances. For the record, Ratchanok won the title in 2015 after defeating Japan's Yui Hashimoto in the final.

The Star
2 hours ago
- General
- The Star
Wei Chong gains from time on sidelines with coach Herry
Lessons learned: Man Wei Chong (left) and Tee Kai Wun will play compatriots Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi or France's Eloi Adam-Leo Rossi in the Indonesian Open second round. PETALING JAYA: Man Wei Chong may not have featured in the Singapore Open final last week, but the men's doubles shuttler still came away with invaluable lessons that could serve him well at this week's Indonesian Open. While Malaysians celebrated Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik's title-winning feat, Wei Chong quietly made his own gains after being given the rare opportunity to soak up the experience from the sidelines beside national men's doubles coach Herry Iman Pierngadi. It turned out to be a priceless experience for the 25-year-old, who witnessed first-hand how Herry broke down the game and delivered crucial advice to Aaron-Wooi Yik. He also had a front-row seat to observe how the Olympic bronze medallists handled the pressure during critical moments against South Korea's Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae. That brief but insightful stint on the bench could prove timely as Wei Chong reunites with partner Tee Kai Wun for the Indonesian Open, which got underway yesterday. As last year's runners-up, they made a confident start to their campaign with a commanding 21-6, 21-11 win over the United States' Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith in the opening round. 'We're happy to be back at Istora Senayan and we hope to do well in this tournament,' said Wei Chong in an interview with BWF. They have also put behind them their title-winning run at the Malaysian Masters two weeks ago, where they edged Aaron-Wooi Yik in a hard-fought final. 'I think the Malaysian Masters is behind us. This is a new week, and we need to keep learning from the top players. Hopefully, we can put in a strong performance,' he added. Awaiting them in the second round are either compatriots Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi or France's Eloi Adam-Leo Rossi, who will square off in another first-round clash.


The Star
11 hours ago
- General
- The Star
Sze Fei-Izzuddin overcome nervy start to advance into second round at Indonesian Open
PETALING JAYA: World No. 1 men's doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin had a nervy start before pulling through in the opening round of the Indonesian Open at Istora Senayan in Jakarta on Tuesday (June 3). Having just beaten Taiwan's Lee Fang-chih-Lee Fang-jen at the Singapore Open last week, Sze Fei-Izzuddin were expected to cruise past the same pair. But the Malaysian duo found themselves in trouble after dropping the first game. Fortunately, they regrouped in the second game to force a decider and went on to seal a 17-21, 21-17, 21-14 win in 58 minutes. Sze Fei-Izzuddin will face fellow Malaysians Tan Wee Kiong-Nur Azriyn Ayub in the second round. Wee Kiong-Azriyn enjoyed a smoother outing as they brushed aside China's Xie Haonan-Zeng Weihan 21-17, 21-12. Earlier, last year's finalists Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun made a strong start to their campaign with a convincing 21-6, 21-11 win over the United States' Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith to move into the second round. The seventh seeds will next take on compatriots Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi, who advanced after receiving a walkover from France's Eloi Adam-Leo Rossi.


The Star
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Something amiss as Ratchanok's name missing from registration list for Indonesian Open
Thailand women's singles shuttler Ratchanok Intanon in action against China's Wang Zhiyi in the semi-final match of Malaysian Masters at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil on Saturday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star PETALING JAYA: Former world champion Ratchanok Intanon has been left bitterly disappointed after missing out on the Indonesian Open at Istora Senayan this week, with her name omitted from the tournament's official registration list. The unexpected situation has caused confusion not just for the 30-year-old shuttler, but also for her club, the Banthongyord Badminton School, who were responsible for handling her entry into the prestigious tournament. In a statement, Banthongyord said they had followed the standard procedures they had always adhered to when registering players for international competitions. This included submitting all the necessary documents, including the list of players under the club, to the national body, the Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT). However, the club were shocked to learn that when the tournament got underway yesterday, Ratchanok's name was missing from the list, dashing her hopes of competing in Jakarta. To make matters worse, the club said they had not been informed of the reason behind the omission. "The Banthongyod Badminton School would like to clarify that in the past, we have sent documents confirming their participation in every competition within the specified time frame. "Similarly, for the 2025 Indonesian Open competition, the Banthongyod Badminton School have sent documents and a list of athletes to apply to participate in the competition under the specified procedures and time frame as usual to the agency that oversees the sending of athletes from Thailand to the BWF as usual. "Later, the agency informed that Ratchanok Intanon's name was not in the 2025 Indonesian Open. The exact reason for the name's absence this time is unknown. The relevant parties helped coordinate with BWF to add the name, but were unable to do so because the deadline for submitting names according to the BWF's schedule had already passed," said Banthongyord. According to the Badminton World Federation's (BWF) regulations, the deadline for player registration for the Indonesian Open was April 22 — and late entries are not accepted under any circumstances. For the record, Ratchanok won the title in 2015 after defeating Japan's Yui Hashimoto in the final.