Lim Yin Fun has been chosen to replace Tee Jing Yi for the women’s singles at the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) in Hyderabad, India from Feb 15-21.
Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) Technical Director Morten Frost Hansen said top national women’s singles shuttler Jing Yi pulled out from the BATC due to a hamstring injury.
“Of course in the team if you are losing the best player it will be affecting the team but I strongly believe in the potential of Yin Fun. I’m still very confident the players will give a good show in Hyderabad.
“Even though Yin Fun is very young, she has a lot of opportunities to improve her performance…(in) one or two years she will be a competitive player at the international level,” he told reporters after checking on the team’s centralised training at the Juara Stadium, Bukit Kiara here Tuesday.
Goh Jin Wei and Lee Ying Ying are also listed for the women’s singles while the doubles pairs are Vivian Hoo/Woon Khe Wei, Amelia Alicia/Soong Fie Cho and Lee Meng Yean/Low Juan Shen.
The tournament offers slots for the Thomas and Uber Cup finals which will be held in Kunshan, China from May 15 to 22.
The 2011 World Junior champion, Zulfadli Zulkiffli, will lead Malaysia’s men’s singles challenge along with Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin, Soong Joo Ven, and Soo Teck Zhi.
BAM has also lined up Tan Kian Meng, Ong Yew Sin, Low Juan Shen, Teo Ee Yi, Tan Wee Gieen, as well as Tan Chee Tean in the men’s doubles at the BATC.
Malaysia needs to complete its campaign at the BATC in the top sixth place to qualify for the Thomas Cup finals.
Meanwhile, Frost said new men’s singles coach Indra Wijaya would arrive in Malaysia on Tuesday and is scheduled to begin his duties on Thursday.
Indra, who had a playing career with both Indonesia and Singapore, has done good work with South Korean singles shuttlers. – BERNAMA
