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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
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.
