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New Indian Express
a day ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
World C'ships an opportunity for Lakshya to turn things around: Coach Vimal
CHENNAI: The season so far has been an immense slog for badminton ace Lakshya Sen. Victories have been at a premium and the shuttler, despite his unarguable talent, has largely been at sea while trying to navigate high-intensity matches inside the court. But that narrative can change in no time. With the all-important World Championships in Paris around the corner, Lakshya will be hoping to buck the trend. With the gold-standard event in mind, the shuttler from Almora is currently training in Paris alongside some of the elite French players. The Indian, who celebrated his 24th birthday on August 16, will be returning to a venue — Porte de La Chapelle Arena — where he had narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal last year. Having said that, he has also tasted success there, having reached the semifinals of the French Open in summer last year. And the Indian had shown some form during his last outing — Macau Open, gaining crucial match-practice in the process. However, he has to be near-flawless from the onset during the BWF Grade 1 event — scheduled to be held from August 25 to 31 — as he will be facing China's Shi Yu Qi, who has been one of the standouts of the season so far with four titles to his name. The odds are clearly stacked against Lakshya but a victory against the World No 1 shuttler could just be the kick he needs. U Vimal Kumar, Lakshya's coach at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA), concurred. "It's an opportunity (for Lakshya). That's what I told him the moment I saw the draw. He said everything is going well. Shi Yu Qi is someone whom he has beaten before. The top-30 players who'll be playing in the event, Lakshya has beaten all of them. He can beat any of them but he has to convert his chances. The top guys are also vulnerable and they'll be under pressure. Shi can also be under pressure. He knows Lakshya's strengths and it's going to be a tough match. If Lakshya can play fearlessly and pull off a win, it will be a good breakthrough," Vimal told this daily. Lakshya this season has either struggled to get his engine burning, going by his early exits or he has seemed to be lacking ideas during the business end of sweat-dripping matches. Vimal, who has been regularly looking to motivate his ward, said that is the issue that he's trying to address at the moment. "He needs match-practice. Training is not new, he has been doing that for long. He has been looking to work on dealing with different situations, how you employ yourself and pull off wins. He has been faltering in those closing stages. That is an area that they're trying to get better at, to understand when to push the pace, when to keep the shuttle in play without making mistakes when under pressure. That he can only gain in the practice that he's getting over there as there are quite a lot of other elite players who're also practising there. He has to figure things out, everything can't be coached."
Malay Mail
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Sudirman Cup disappointment a blessing in disguise for Leong Jun Hao, eyes comeback at Thailand Open
KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 — National men's singles player Leong Jun Hao may not have clinched a medal at the recently concluded Sudirman Cup 2025 in Xiamen, China, but he walked away with something just as important: renewed confidence and belief in himself. Appointed as team captain for the first time in a major team event, Jun Hao led Malaysia into the quarter-finals of the world's prestigious badminton mixed team tournament at the Xiamen Fenghuang Gymnasium. Malaysia's campaign ended in disappointment last Friday, as they were swept 0-3 by hosts and eventual champions China. Amidst the heartbreak, Jun Hao's gritty group stage win over Japan's Kodai Naraoka 21-8, 13-21, 21-18, his fourth out of five matches, was a bright spark and a promising sign for the world number 24 moving forward. 'For sure, the victory over Naraoka boosted my confidence and I have gained a lot more (belief) from it,' he said when met at the training session here, yesterday. Jun Hao also said that his 6-21, 14-21 loss to world number one Shi Yu Qi of China in their first-ever meeting during the Sudirman Cup 2025 quarter-finals was an invaluable learning experience. Although he admitted to having a tough time against Yu Qi, the 25-year-old observed how the Chinese shuttler used a variety of shots and tactical control to restrict his movement and deny him any real chance of victory. In the meantime, the Kuala Lumpur-born shuttler has seen improvements in his game under the guidance of national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen, who assumed the role earlier this year. 'I am getting used to his (Jonassen's coaching) style right now, but I still need to gain more input from him,' he said. As for his next goal, Jun Hao hopes to regain his momentum when he returns to action against Hong Kong's Angus Ng Ka Long in the opening round of the Thailand Open 2025, scheduled for May 13-18. — Bernama
New Straits Times
21-04-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Rashid: Korea could end China's Sudirman Cup reign
KUALA LUMPUR: Can anyone stop China from sweeping to a 14th Sudirman Cup title in Xiamen from April 27-May 4? With a squad boasting three world No. 1s — Shi Yu Qi (men's singles), Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning (women's doubles) and Jiang Zhen Bang-Wei Ya Xin (mixed doubles) — and a world No. 2 in Wang Zhi Yi (women's singles), the defending champions look near-invincible on paper. But former national shuttler Datuk Rashid Sidek believes South Korea could spring a surprise. World No. 1 An Se Young and men's pair Seo Seung Jae-Kim Won Ho (No. 20) are in blistering form and are expected to deliver valuable points. Their women's doubles pairs — Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee (No. 3) and Kim Hye Jeong-Kong Hee Yong (No. 9) — are also capable of unsettling even the most dominant of Chinese sides. Although Se Young is managing a thigh injury, Rashid believes world No. 15 Sim Yu Jin can step in and keep South Korea's hopes alive. "China are still favourites, but South Korea could pull off an upset," said Rashid. "Their men's doubles pair are close to unbeatable right now, and they're strong in both women's and mixed doubles too. "China look certain only in men's singles with Shi Yu Qi while the rest could go either way. "To be honest, it would be good for the competition. If China dominate again, the Sudirman Cup will become a dull affair." South Korea have lifted the trophy four times, including two victories over China in 2003 and 2017. With Park Joo Bong, who won the title in 1991 and 1993 as a player, now back as coach, they could well dethrone the reigning champions.
