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Malaysian
Magic
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Run your mouse over the bar below to show up a wavy
Malaysian - flag - touch it to make it wave
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(Lee Chong Wei - and again below in the yellow
shirt) |
Badminton in Malaysia is the 2nd ranked sport behind
Soccer.
The average age that kids begin to play badminton is
about 4, by the age of ten the kids will be playing at a
reasonable level of badminton. During this time they do not have
intensive coaching. The process of learning the basics comes
more naturally as they spend a lot of time on court getting the
feel of the game, young kids also have a high level of exposure
to the game and can regularly watch high performance state and
national players both on TV and during tournaments.
(Malaysia winning Bronze at
the Thomas Cup in Jakarta - Photo by Sue Smith)
 The Beijing Olympics are just around the corner and like the
rest of Malaysia my hopes for a gold medal lie on the shoulders
of National Singles player LEE Chong Wei.
As a junior Chong Wei
would have first picked up a racket at the age of 4. When I was
in the national team and we played a tournament at his hometown
of Penang, Chong Wei was a 15-year-old junior.
At this point in
time he was not a top player but showed a lot of enthusiasm and
sat behind my court and watched the national players as we
competed. Chong Wei showed a lot of interest in the matches and
after the games were completed came to talk to the players.
He
showed great eagerness to learn, as he wanted to improve his
game. Over 10 years Chong Wei has transformed from an eager
junior player to a World-class champion who is a clear favorite
to win gold at Beijing.
 Malaysia's only other men's singles player in the Olympics this
year is the veteran shuttler WONG Choon Hann (pictured in
the white shirt).
Choon Hann has
proved that even though he is 31 he still has the fight to keep
on playing.
After coming back after a year injury break
Choong
Hann has continued to compete at a high level
and earn himself enough ranking points to compete in
Beijing.
Malaysian badminton
is a mixture of European and Asian style training, they train with more passion and enthusiasm for the game, and learn through
discovery method compared to New Zealand which puts emphasis on
the mechanical method. Choon Hann started in the National team
in 1994 and was a member of the team while I was still playing
in the squad. His hard work and strong mental attitude has paid
off as he chases a medal in Beijing.
With all the
fame associated with the national team, that is comparable to
the All Blacks here in New Zealand, the national players in
Malaysia still remain humble and friendly.
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