24 9 月, 2022

Southern Score Honours Badminton World Champions, Aaron and Wooi Yik with RM100,000 Incentive

KUALA LUMPUR, Sep 24, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Southern Score Builders Berhad is pleased to present an incentive of RM100,000 to Malaysia's top men's doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, who won Malaysia's first gold at the 2022 World Badminton Championships in Tokyo last month.Soh Wooi Yik, Gan Yee Hin and Chia Teng Fong [L-R]Ian Wong Jien Sern, Gan Yee Hin, Dato Jack Koh [L-R]Aaron and Wooi Yik were presented with mock cheques by Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Score, Gan Yee Hin, at a ceremony today honouring their outstanding achievements. On hand to welcome them were guests and staff of Southern Score.Gan Yee Hin said, "We are here to celebrate the outstanding achievement of Aaron and Wooi Yik by presenting a token of appreciation for winning the world title for Malaysia. Thank you for the dedication and hard work, they are excellent and truly deserve the rewards. We believe this world title is just the beginning of their badminton journey. We hope this little token of our gratitude will further motivate them for greater achievements and bring glory to the country in the world arena.""We hope that our gesture incentive will inspire others to assist a new generation of players who have the courage to pursue the sport as their career.""At the same time, we are contributing RM200,000 to Petaling Badminton Club (PBC), the club from which our world champions were nurtured before they joined the national team. We hope that the contribution provides some support as they nurture talents to represent the country. PBC has had a history of producing several of the country's well-known players such as Chen Tang Jie, Cheam June Wei, Man Wei Chong and Goh V Shem."Aaron and Wooi Yik thanked Southern Score for the incentive and said, "We are honoured to have represented Malaysia at the World Badminton Championships and would like to thank Southern Score and all Malaysians for their support.""Support such as this incentive from Southern Score means a lot to us and motivates us as we prepare ourselves mentally and physically to win more accolades for Malaysia on the world stage, including our goal of making it to the 2024 Olympic Games."Southern Score is a certified CIDB Grade 7 builder of homes for the community and a future for the nation. The Company is always closely tied into the local community and remains active in community involvement programmes such as education, sport, environment and society.Southern Score: https://southernscore.com.my/ Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

22 12 月, 2021

‘Shiok’ to be home for badminton world champ

14 12 月, 2021

Badminton: S’pore’s Loh Kean Yew stuns world No. 1 Axelsen at World Championships

SINGAPORE - National shuttler Loh Kean Yew has slain the biggest giant in the badminton world as he beat Denmark's world No. 1 and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen 14-21, 21-9, 21-6 in the first round of the Badminton World Federation World Championships in 54 minutes on Monday (Dec 13). The Singaporean world No. 22 got off to a poor start in Huelva, Spain, going down 5-0 in the first game and while he fought back to 11-10, his opponent - the 2017 world champion - used his 1.94-metre frame to impose better court coverage and take down the opening frame. However, Loh roared back after that with aggressive play, superb reading and pin-point finishing to record his first win over Axelsen in five attempts and inflict on the Dane only his fourth defeat in 65 matches this year. Said Loh: “I’m delighted to finally beat Viktor after five tries. I just kept trying and never stopped believing. “It has been a hectic end to the season for all of us. Viktor is a superb player and he will come back even stronger, while I need to recover well and stay focused to try and go as far as I can.” The 24-year-old will meet Austria's world No. 93 Luka Wraber in the second round on Wednesday. A gracious Axelsen said: "I lost to a better player. Nothing really came together for me. I tried to do my best and step up but today wasn't it. "It was a bad day at the office. Not many things went my way and a lot of things went Loh's way and he fully deserves the win today. I don't want to stand here and cry about what I could have done differently. Loh won the game and I didn't deserve it." National singles coach Kelvin Ho added: "The game plan was for Kean Yew to keep taking the initiative while being calm and patient, and he was mentally strong today." It has been a strong end to 2021 for Loh, who surged 21 places in eight weeks to crack the top 20 before settling in his current position. Besides capturing the Dutch Open and Hylo Open titles in the past two months, he also claimed the scalps of Japan's then-world No. 1 Kento Momota (Indonesia Open), Malaysia's world No. 7 and All England champion Lee Zii Jia (French Open) and Chinese Taipei's world No. 4 Chou Tien-chen (Hylo Open). Meanwhile, after receiving a first-round bye, compatriot and women's world No. 16 Yeo Jia Min will play Scotland's world No. 21 Kirsty Gilmour in the second round of the BWF World Championships on Tuesday. The winner of this match is projected to meet world No. 1 Tai Tzu-ying in the next round, if the Taiwanese beats Russia's world No. 27 Evgeniya Kosetskaya. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Badminton Europe Confederation (@badminton_europe) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Badminton Europe Confederation (@badminton_europe) More on this topic Related Story Badminton: Loh Kean Yew loses to Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen in Indonesia Open final Related Story Badminton: Loh Kean Yew shocks Momota, advances to Indonesia Open quarter-finals

15 10 月, 2021

Badminton: Japan to play S. Korea in Uber Cup semis after easy wins, no surprises in Thomas Cup too

AARHUS, DENMARK (XINHUA) - Defending Uber Cup champions Japan and South Korea both coasted to straight-forward 3-0 victories in Thursday's (Oct 14) quarter-finals and will meet in Friday's semi-finals. Japan, who won their first women's badminton team title in 37 years in Thailand in 2018, took the first two singles and opening doubles matches without the loss of a single game in their tie against India, with the second doubles and third singles not played. In the other tie, South Korea had it only slightly tougher against hosts Denmark - An Se-young being taken to a deciding game in the opening singles by Mia Blichfeldt. The two night last-eight ties pitted 14-time champions China against underdogs Chinese Taipei and a much-tighter contest between 2018 runners-up Thailand and three-time winners Indonesia. In the men's Thomas Cup, defending champions China beat India 3-1 in the final round of group play at the Ceres Arena to top Group C, with the losers also making the quarter-finals. Shi Yuqi gave his team a perfect start by outplaying Srikanth Kidambi 21-12, 21-16, after having been on the sidelines during the previous two rounds. "Compared with other players, we are less experienced," he said. "I want to contribute more to my team and ease the pressure on my teammates. I believe chances will be on our side if every one of us tries hard." China's new pair of He Jiting and Zhou Haodong lost to Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty 14-21, 14-21 in the second doubles match, marking China's first defeat in the group stage and tying the score at 1-1. "We did not do well most of the time today, but our opponents finished strong attacks," said 23-year-old Zhou. "We were probably not well prepared and fell into traps as the game wore on." Lu Guangzu then edged out Sameer Verma 14-21, 21-9, 24-22 to give China a 2-1 lead. "I had too many turnovers in the first set and the decider when the scores went to 13-13. I had hoped to finish smart and strong, but on the contrary, I was losing points too quickly. When Sameer got the match point, my tactics still worked and I was lucky to turn the game." In the final two matches, Liu Cheng and Wang Yilyu smashed Madathil Ramachandran Arjun and Dhruv Kapila 26-24, 21-19, before Li Shifeng defeated Kiran George 21-15, 21-17. Japan also beat Malaysia by the same score to top Group D. In Friday's quarter-finals, 10-time winners China face Thailand, record 13-time champions Indonesia play regional rivals Malaysia, hosts Denmark meet India while Japan, champions in 2014 and runners-up in 2018, take on South Korea. More on this topic Related Story Badminton: China sweep Canada in Uber Cup opener, Thais upset Chinese Taipei in Thomas Cup Related Story Badminton 'still learning to live with' Covid-19, says world federation sec-gen Thomas Lund

9 7 月, 2021

Badminton: Singapore’s shuttlers avoid big guns at Tokyo 2020 group stage

SINGAPORE - National shuttlers Loh Kean Yew and Yeo Jia Min's quest for success at the Olympic Games received a boost on Thursday (July 9) after they were handed favourable draws in the men's and women's singles. The draw for the badminton competition at the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza was released by Badminton World Federation on Thursday.. World No. 42 Loh will play in Group G against Indonesia's Jonatan Christie (7th) and refugee athlete Aram Mahmoud (172nd), a Syrian who plays under the Dutch flag. While Loh has not beaten Asian Games champion Christie in three previous encounters, he did pinch a set in each of those defeats. This will be his first meeting with Mahmoud. His group draw also means that he will avoid big guns like Japanese world No. 1 and hot favourite Kento Momota, China's Rio 2016 men's singles champion Chen Long and Denmark's bronze medallist Viktor Axelsen. Loh, 24, said: "I would say it's a good draw. I last played him at the Thailand Open in January so at least it's someone that I played recently, and I can gauge his standards better compared to those whom I have not met before or for a long time. "In any case, every game at the Olympics is important. I will go into the tournament giving it my best and fight all the way." In the women's singles, world No. 30 Yeo is in Group K with South Korean Kim Ga-eun (18th) and Mexican Haramara Gaitan (92nd). Likewise, she has dodged the world's top 10 including Chinese Taipei's world No. 1 Tai Tzu-ying and China's world No. 2 Chen Yu Fei. The 22-year-old holds a 3-1 head-to-head record against Kim and will play Gaitan for the first time at Tokyo 2020. In the singles events, players are divided into 14 groups of three to four players for round-robin matches and the top-ranked player will advance to the knockout round. A total of 87 male and 86 female players representing 50 national Olympic committees will feature at these Olympics, with Rio 2016 men's singles champion Chen Long of China the only defending champion across five categories. The July 24-Aug 2 badminton competition will be held at the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza. More on this topic Related Story Badminton: Singapore's Loh Kean Yew, Yeo Jia Min's slots at Tokyo 2020 confirmed Related Story Badminton: Loh Kean Yew focused on Olympic qualification despite latest postponement

6 7 月, 2021

Olympics: Malaysia’s chef de mission Lee Chong Wei to skip Games over health concerns

KUALA LUMPUR (XINHUA) - Malaysia's badminton legend and chef de mission (CDM) for the Tokyo Olympic Games Lee Chong Wei will not travel to Japan due to health concerns, an official said on Monday (July 5). Youth and Sports Minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican said the retired badminton legend had decided against travelling to Japan following health advice from his doctor. Still, the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) has decided to retain him as CDM. "We support OCM's stand to retain him as the CDM because Chong Wei is a big name, one entrenched in the hearts, minds and soul of all Malaysians," he was quoted as saying by Malaysian state news agency Bernama. Lee will instead monitor the athletes' performances in Tokyo and give words of encouragement via online means. Lee has won three silver medals in badminton men's singles in three successive Olympics Games. Although he could not deliver Malaysia's first Olympic gold, he is one of the greatest sportsmen in the country. Lee was diagnosed with nose cancer in 2018 and announced his retirement in 2019 before being appointed as his country's CDM to the Tokyo Olympic Games. More on this topic Related Story Five things to know about Malaysian badminton star Lee Chong Wei

4 2 月, 2021

Sports World: Asian badminton team event called off

Asian badminton team event called off KUALA LUMPUR • Badminton Asia has cancelled its mixed team championships, which were set to be held in Wuhan next week, due to many governments imposing travel restrictions and quarantine requirements on players, the continental body said yesterday. It added that the timing of the event in China, which was set to determine the qualifiers for the Sudirman Cup in May in Suzhou but is not part of the Olympic qualifying process, had been a contributing factor to call off the event. REUTERS Brady merchandise still a big draw NEW YORK • Record-setting quarterback Tom Brady, 43, is at it again, this time without even lifting a finger. Fanatics, the National Football League's official e-commerce partner, has said the six-time Super Bowl champion, who is in his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has become its best-selling NFL player for the two-week period between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. No official sales figures were released. On Sunday, hosts Buccaneers are hoping to beat the holders Kansas City Chiefs and win their first title since 2003. REUTERS Wada won't contest CAS verdict on Russia MONTREAL • The World Anti-Doping Agency said on Tuesday that it will not appeal against a controversial Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that halved Russia's international doping ban to two years in December. In a brief statement, it said it had concluded that "an appeal would have served no useful purpose". AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

2 2 月, 2021

Game point, resellers

Online marketplaces such as Carousell are the go-to platforms for many Singaporeans to buy anything from beauty products to electronic gadgets. And now, they are also a virtual shop space to purchase bookings at public sports facilities such as badminton courts. The issue of third parties reselling badminton court bookings was first reported by The Straits Times on Jan 24. Social players had voiced their anger and frustration at being unable to book the courts at ActiveSG's sports halls and the OCBC Arena at the Singapore Sports Hub, only to see the slots being resold for a profit on various platforms such as Carousell, Meetup, Facebook and Telegram. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

15 1 月, 2021

Tai makes inroads into late stages in Bangkok

BANGKOK • Women's badminton world No. 1 Tai Tzu-ying breezed into the quarter-finals of the Yonex Thailand Open yesterday, sweeping aside South Korea's Kim Ga-eun 21-16, 21-10 in less than half an hour. The 26-year-old's victory came as the Badminton World Federation (BWF) declared the tournament safe to continue following the latest round of Covid-19 tests. "It has been a while since the last tournament, and this is the same for everyone, so (these first few matches) are not easy," admitted Tai after she beat the 17th-ranked Kim. "I felt better today and had fewer unforced errors." Tai is seeking back-to back titles 10 months apart after winning the All England Championship on her last tournament appearance in March before the coronavirus-enforced hiatus. She will next face Canada's eighth seed Michelle Li. World No. 10 Li beat South Korean Sung Ji-hyun 15-21, 21-15, 21-14. The Thailand Open is the first of three consecutive tournaments played in strict bio-secure conditions behind closed doors in Bangkok, culminating in the Jan 27-31 World Tour Finals. Egyptian mixed doubles player Adham Hatem Elgamal was withdrawn on Monday, while a German coach and French staff member are under hospital observation after testing positive at the tournament. Three other players also tested positive, before doctors ruled they were historic infections. But the BWF yesterday cleared all other players to continue. "The tournament has been deemed safe to continue by the Thai health authorities," the governing body said in a statement. Thai badminton chief Patama Leeswadtrakul said limited numbers of cases had been expected, and that organisers are following procedures laid down by Thailand's health ministry. "All in the bubble are from all over the world, we haven't expected zero cases of Covid-19," Patama said. "We have strong intentions to make this event a success," she said, adding that the players "still have high spirits". All players will face the next round of mandatory testing today, the BWF said. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE