Latest news with #WorldChampionships-bound
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New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Jun Hao, Letshanaa to train with Vikings ahead of worlds [WATCH]
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's World Championships-bound shuttlers will benefit from some Danish expertise ahead of their Paris mission — with a training stint in Copenhagen from Aug 18-22. The national squad will spar with Denmark's top players before heading to Paris for the World Championships from Aug 25-31. National coaching director Kenneth Jonassen (pic) has welcomed the invitation from Badminton Denmark, believing the exposure will benefit men's singles players Leong Jun Hao (world No. 24), Justin Hoh (No. 45), and women's singles hopeful K. Letshanaa (No. 41). "It's a great opportunity to experience a different training environment," said Jonassen at Academy Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara on Tuesday. "It'll also help our players adapt to the European conditions before the big event. It's a win-win situation and we're grateful for this chance." Jun Hao and Justin will get valuable match practice against Danish world No. 29 Rasmus Gemke, as well as Mads Christophersen (No. 65) and Magnus Johannesen (No. 73). Top Danish stars Anders Antonsen (No. 3) and Viktor Axelsen (No. 9) are not part of the national team set-up, but could still join the training sessions. "I don't have the confirmed list, but Denmark have plenty of top players — it's a good chance for us to train in a new environment," said Jonassen. Jun Hao and Letshanaa will both be making their World Championships debuts and will be joined by regulars Lee Zii Jia (No. 35) and Goh Jin Wei (No. 47). Letshanaa is expected to gain the most from the stint, with sparring opportunities against world-class Danish shuttlers such as world No. 22 Line Kjaersfeldt, Mia Blichfeldt (No. 27), Line Christophersen (No. 33) and Julie Dawall Jakobsen (No. 34).
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Jun Hao, Letshanaa to train with Vikings ahead of worlds
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's World Championships-bound shuttlers will benefit from some Danish expertise ahead of the Paris showdown — with a training stint in Copenhagen from Aug 18-22. The national squad will spar with Denmark's top players before heading to Paris for the World Championships from Aug 25-31. National coaching director Kenneth Jonassen has welcomed the invitation from Badminton Denmark, believing the exposure will benefit men's singles players Leong Jun Hao (world No. 26), Justin Hoh (No. 45), and women's singles hopeful K. Letshanaa (No. 42). "It's a great opportunity to experience a different training environment," said Jonassen at Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) on Tuesday. "It'll also help our players adapt to the European conditions before the big event. It's a win-win situation and we're grateful for this chance." Jun Hao and Justin will get valuable match practice against Danish world No. 30 Rasmus Gemke, as well as Mads Christophersen (No. 65) and Magnus Johannesen (No. 73). Top Danish stars Anders Antonsen (No. 3) and Viktor Axelsen (No. 8) are not part of the national team set-up, but could still join the training sessions. "I don't have the confirmed list, but Denmark have plenty of top players — it's a good chance for us to train in a new environment," said Jonassen. Jun Hao and Letshanaa will both be making their World Championships debuts and will be joined by regulars Lee Zii Jia (No. 33) and Goh Jin Wei (No. 45). Letshanaa is expected to gain the most from the stint, with sparring opportunities against world-class Danish shuttlers such as world No. 19 Line Kjaersfeldt, Mia Blichfeldt (No. 26), Julie Dawall Jakobsen (No. 30), and Line Christophersen (No. 32).
NZ Herald
24-07-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Shearing: Northland's Toa Henderson wins Royal Welsh Open title, but Kiwis lose the test
Sixth was a third New Zealand shearer, Matt Smith, from Northland and Hawke's Bay. Smith is farming in Cornwall and is set to represent England in the world championships in Masterton next March. However, the tactic of trying to blow the Welsh away with speed in a test match soon afterwards fell short of the ultimate goal. Despite Fagan claiming the time honours in a close battle, the Kiwis were beaten by the World Championships-bound new Welsh team of Evans and Llyr Jones. With barely five seconds separating Fagan, Evans and Henderson at the end of another 20-lambs shear, the Welsh quality carried the day, for a win by 6.4 points. This brings the Welsh team to a 2-0 lead in an annual series last won by a New Zealand team in Wales six years ago, although Wales have not won a series in New Zealand. But the margin was inflated by a five-point penalty against Henderson for a single cut on his last lamb. The Kiwis had got off to a great start in the all-nations heats of 69 shearers, mainly from Wales. Fagan headed the 24 qualifiers for the quarter-finals, with Henderson in sixth place. Team manager Neil Fagan, a former senior title winner in Wales and on his first visit in 22 years, said that without the blemish, New Zealand would have gone close to winning the test. Read more shearing and woolhandling stories here. He was looking forward to the black singlets dominating on Saturday at the Corwen Shears, where Fagan will be again defending an all-nations title. Henderson won the recent French Open but failed to qualify for the Cothi Shears open final in Wales last Saturday. He told the crowd it felt 'pretty good' to make the final after missing out in Cothi, and he was rapt to win at the Royal Welsh in his first tour in the UK. It was the 50th anniversary Royal Welsh Championship. Henderson's father, Mike Henderson, was in the crowd, and it was his wife Phoebe Henderson's birthday. 'I did it for us,' Toa Henderson said, as he raised the Godfrey Bowen Memorial Trophy. It was also a big day for Llyr Jones, who shears in New Zealand for Wairarapa contractors Abraham Shearing. He won the Champion Shearer of Wales final and claimed a place in the Wales World Championships team for the first time. Evans claimed his place in the team for the March 4-7 championships in Masterton by winning the Welsh Shearing Circuit final. The 2019 world champion, Welshman Richard Jones, who, with Evans, won the team title in Scotland two years ago, reached both finals today, but missed selection in the team. Amid the fever-pitch passion of the Welsh setting at Llanelwedd, near Builth Wells, in Powys, Mid Wales, the test match was introduced by a Welshman singing the New Zealand anthem in Māori and English. This was followed by the haka Ka Mate, with more than 20 answering the near-royal command call to put up the challenge in front of at least 2000 spectators. Results International (20 lambs): Wales 97.35pts (Gwion Lloyd Evans 12m, 47.5pts; Llyr Jones 13m 4s, 50.2pts) New Zealand 103.75pts (Jack Fagan 11.56s, 49.2pts; Toa Henderson 12m 1s, 54.55pts). Wales won by 6.4 points and lead the series 2-0. The last test is at the Corwen Shears on Saturday. Royal Welsh All-Nations Open final (20 lambs): Toa Henderson (New Zealand) 12m 38s, 44.7pts, 1; Gwion Lloyd Evans (Wales) 13m 23s, 47pts, 2; Jack Fagan (New Zealand) 13.m 8s, 47.15pts, 3; Gareth Daniel (Wales) 13m 55s, 49.35psts, 4; Richard Jones (Wales) 14m 7s, 49.8pts, 5; Matt Smith (New Zealand/England) 13m 33s, 50.3pts, 6.
