By LIM TEIK HUAT
PETALING JAYA: It will be an early test on Lee Chong Wei’s ability to clinch his first SEA Games men’s singles gold medal when he takes part in the Japan Open, which will be held in Tokyo from Sept 22-27.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) plan to sent a squad at full strength to Laos in December to make amends for not winning a single gold medal at the last Games in Korat two years ago.
And in the outing in Tokyo, Chong Wei will have to clear an array of the region’s top shuttlers from the opening round, including Indonesian Sony Dwi Kuncoro, to make it to a third successive final.
In the draw released for the eighth leg of the Super Series, top seed Chong Wei has an opening match against Thailand’s Boonsak Ponsana and a win will give him a probable match against Indonesian Simon Santoso.
In his quarter of the draw are defending champion Sony and Thai youngster Tanongsak Saengsomboonsuk.
Former Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat, who is seeded fourth, and former top Malaysian Wong Choong Hann are in the other quarter of the draw.
Choong Hann faces a tough opening round against South Korean Park Sung-hwan.
In the other half of the draw, Taiwan Open champion Nguyen Tien Minh, who is gunning to win honours for Vietnam in the Laos Games, faces a major test against second seed Chen Jin, who is China’s main hope to win the title in the absence of Olympic champion Lin Dan.
Also in the same half are top Dane and third seed Peter-Gade Christensen.
Chong Wei beat Taufik to win the Japan Open title in 2007 but he was beaten by Sony in the final last year.
The BAM general manager, Kenny Goh, said that the coaches had recommended for the top shuttlers to be in the team for the Laos Games.
“Chong Wei and doubles pair Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong will be among those in the team and we will decide on the others later,” he said.
“Not only can we name our top players but there are also places for back-up shuttlers to make up a squad of 10.”
Second seeds Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, who were the runners-up in their first appearance together in the 2006 Japan Open, will have to overcome world championship runners-up Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung of South Korea to reach the final again.
Also in the same half of the draw are Malaysians Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif.
World champions Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun of China and Olympic champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia are in the other half of the draw.
Top Malaysian women’s singles player Wong Mew Choo will be up against a qualifier in the first round. In her path to each the quarter-finals is world champion Lu Lan of China.
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