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GOLDEN HORNBILLS HAVE LANDED IN TERENGGANU

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PETALING JAYA, Nov 13 – It is their biggest match of the year thus far – Sarawak United’s first-leg Malaysia Cup quarter-final tie against Terengganu FC at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Gong Badak, Kuala Terengganu on Sunday.
The plum tie has attracted a lot of attention for various parties and for various reasons. Not happy had given Sarawak United the Premier League runners-up, hopes of reaching the knockout stage and is the only team from the lower tier league to be still in the running for the prestigious Malaysia Cup.
The oldest football tournament in this region celebrates its 100th Anniversary this year.
For the East Malaysian outfit the journey has not been smooth sailing but the professionals under head coach E. Elavarasan are living to the famous Dayak battle cry AGI IDUP AGI NGELABAN  (As Long As We Live, We Fight).
Let’s not talk about the off field issues. Much has been written about Sarawak United’s late salaries of up to three-months. However, Sarawak United supremo keeps his promise to settle all arrears and be a trusted leader.
Coming back to the biggie in Gong Badak, Elavarasan and his team is not taking away anything away from Terengganu FC. Next to Johor Darul Takzim, Terengganu is the next big name in the Super League, oozing with confidence.
Just like JDT, Terengganu has enough depth on the bench – both local and foreign. In coach Nafuzi Zain, Terengganu has a plotter who can take the team all the way. However, let’s not forget Elavarasan who is a “plotter” in his own right.
Elavarasan is also a shrewd tactician and he has worked wonders when the chips are down. What plans he has against Terengganu playing away in the first-leg is left to be seen. Who will will features in his team is another question mark when he only has a small pool to pick his team.
Another hallmark of Elavarasan is that he never begs a player to play for the team. Instead, for him the player is the one who should have the desire, urgency and pride to don the team colors. He will not hesitate to leave any player out of his match plans if the need arises due to demands from a player.
For Elavarasan and Sarawak United the show must go on under any circumstances. The Ngap Sayot spirit still burns because the team is playing for Sarawak – the land of warriors – warriors who will fight till the end despite the off field issues.

YUSOFF THAT CONFIDENT TO WIN AFF SUZUKI CUP?

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PETALING JAYA, Nov 12 – The national squad for this year’s AFF Suzuki Cup in Singapore is yet to be named – thanks to the crammed Malaysia Cup fixtures with the quarter-finals yet to be played.
Yet we have national football manager Datuk Yusoff Mahadi talking about winning the Asean football title.
Isn’t this putting pressure on head coach Tan Cheng Hoe and his coaching panel but also the team?
Yusoff, (the deputy president of the FA of Malaysia) recent statement of winning the Asean silverware after more than a decade is simply outrageous.
However, Yusoff, who hails from Melaka, has put extra pressure not only on the team but also on head coach Tan Cheng Hoe.
Cheng Hoe yearns to have at least one friendly for the Harimau Malaya but this is out of his reach.
Blame it on the tight fixtures and the Malaysian Football League (MFL) is to be blamed for this shortcoming. Sad to say the MFL has not been that friendly when it comes to the national team.
Without doubt, Cheng Hoe has his players in the call-up list but at the same time he is keeping his fingers crossed that none of the core players will pick up injuries with the first-leg Malaysia Cup quarter-final matches scheduled for this Sunday and the return-leg on Thursday.
Remember, the Harimau Malaya will fly off to Singapore on Dec 3 without a friendly match before facing Cambodia in the opening on Dec 6.
This is followed by a match against Laos (Dec 9) and Vietnam (the defending champions) on Dec 12. Malaysia complete their fixtures against Indonesia on Dec 19.
Is Yusoff confidently saying that Malaysia can overcome the challenges of their rival in Group B?
Vietnam and Indonesia have been football rivals for a long time. Do not underrate Cambodia and Laos. So, Yusoff, let’s talk about the group matches first before we talk about the final or the title!
Of course we want our Harimau Malaya rise and bring the trophy back we last won in 2010 under coach Datuk K. Rajagobal – just a year after he led the team to the football gold medal in the SEA Games in Laos.
Cheng Hoe, is certain to leave out some names who have not been able to get ”playing time” with their clubs.
At the same time, however, Cheng Hoe, will welcome the return of Shahrul Saad from injury to add strength in the backline.
The former Perak player is now with eight-time Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Takzim. He made his debut for JDT with a goal in the Southern Tigers 4-0 win over Kelantan FC in a Malaysia Cup Group match.
Some of the names not in the call up list may include Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, Liridon Kraniqi and Samuel Somerville.
Krasniqi is currently with an Indian club after leaving Newcastle Jets in Australia where he hardly got playing minutes.
Also out of the list is Terengganu defender Shahrul Nizam Ros Hasni, who went missing hours before the team left for a two-match playing tour of Jordan in October. Shahrul, instead, was later confirmed to have gone fishing in the South China Sea.
National Under-23 goalkeeper Azri Ghani is set to feature in Cheng Hoe’s team to the AFF Suzuki Cup. The other goalkeepers are Khairul Fahmi Che Mat and Khairul Azhan Khalid
and Farizal Marlias.

GOOD STATE OF MIND – THAT’S SARAWAK UNITED

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PETALING JAYA, Nov 9 – Pride – THAT’S SARAWAK UNITED, Passion – THAT’S SARAWAK UNITED, Dignity – THAT’S SARAWAK UNITED, Loyalty – THAT’S SARAWAK UNITED.
The above is what the Sarawak United players and officials have shown and expect more from the team when the Malaysia Cup enters the knockout stage after the completion of the  preliminary round group matches on Wednesday.
This is even when players and officials have yet to be paid for up to three months. Go a step further…apart from finishing runners-up in the lower tier Premier League that came with a promotion to the elite Super League for the new season, the Golden Hornbills are still in the running for the prestigious Malaysia Cup.
Not many had placed hope on the bunch of hardy fighters. Not when some of the key players, plus team officials were slapped with hefty fines and suspensions after the league match against rivals Negri Sembilan for misconduct on Sept 10.
The ill tempered match won by Negeri Sembilan 1-0 with an injury time goal cost Sarawak dearly and cost the Golden Hornbills the league title. Sarawak eventually finished runners-up to Negeri Sembilan.
Gaining promotion to the Super League, despite the off field issues, is an achievement for the people of Sarawak who will soon go to the polls. The hardcore football fans from East Malaysia salute the team for bringing glory to the state.
However, Sarawak United supremo Datuk Posa Majais, a businessman, has managed, despite the delays in salaries to overcome the shortcomings, knowing that football is the livelihood of the players.
Head coach E. Elavarasan has his magic touch with the players. Technical director B. Satiananthan, a former national coach, has embarked on a mission to produce more footballers from the state. The duo are a big hit with Sarawak football.
There is no denying that players like skipper Taylor Regan (Australia), midfielder Lee Chang Hoon (South Korea), striker Sandro Mendonca (Brazil) and Nigerian hitman Uche Agba are with the team because of Elavarasan.
Despite the Movement Control Orders (MCO) due to the nation wide coronavirus pandemic, Satiananthan has managed to get his mission going.
The plus factor is that football mad Sarawak has football talent in the deep interiors of the huge state where transportation is a problem.
Putting that aside, Sarawak marched into the Malaysian Cup quarter-finals after a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Sri Pahang at the Darul Makmur Stadium in Kuantan on Sunday in a Group A match. The win means Sarawak denied Pahang a quarter-final berth.
Kuala Lumpur City FC is on top of the group with 11 points from five matches while Sarawak is second on 10 points.
Wednesday will see Sarawak at home to winless Penang at the UiTM FC Stadium while Kuala Lumpur will be away to Pahang.
Substitute Rahim Razak slotted the winner just seconds before the final whistle – thanks to Nigerian ace Uche Agba who laid the groundwork with a brilliant run on the left.
Pahang had taken a 14th minute lead through a header by South Sudanese Kenny Athiu. Sarawak equalised through Brazilian Sandro Mendonca in the 31st minutes and the rest is history.
Latest news is soothing for Sarawak United. Datuk Posa, who is also a vice-president of the FA of Malaysia (FAM), has promised that overdue salaries will be settled in the next few days.
Ngap Sayot is very much alive in Sarawak football.

ZII JIA’S HYLO OPEN ENDS IN PAIN

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KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 – It was a painful exit for Malaysian hope Lee Zii Jia in the men’s singles final at the Hylo Open in Saarbrucken, Germany on Sunday when the 23-year-old retired in the rubber game with a lower back injury.
The final against Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew was poised for a thriller when each player won a game.
Zii Jia took the first game 21-19 but the Penang-born Kean Yew won the second 21-13 to force the decider.
In the rubber game Zii Jia, the reigning All-England champion, was down 12-17 when he retired 18 minutes in the game.
Zii Jia fell flat on his stomach midway in the second game and that probably hurt his back as he was seen finding difficulty in his movements on court and gave away easy points.
During the mid-game break in the decider Zii Jia called for medical treatment but it was clear that the spray did not do him any good. For the record, Kean Yew himself needed courtside treatment for a bleeding knuckle.
Kean Yew pocketed USD24,000 in prize money while Zii Jia settled for USD12,160 for his efforts.
The Malaysian number one has now left a big question mark if he will make the trip to Indonesia for the Indonesia Masters (Nov 16-21) and the Indonesia Open (Nov 23-28) before the season-ending World Tour Finals,in Bali.
For Kean Yew it is his first World Tour Super 500 title and many will take note that the Singaporean has shown that he is a player who can take on the best in the world.
He had beaten Zii Jia 24-22, 21-14 in the first round in last month’s French Open.
Earlier in the women’s singles final Singapore hope Yeo Jian Min was beaten by Thailand’s  fifth seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan who won 21-10, 21-14in 35 minutes.
In the men’s doubles final, which was an all-Indonesia affair. World No 1 and top seeds Marcus Fernaldi Gideon-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo beat world junior champions Leo RallyCarnando-Daniel Marthin 21-14, 21-19 for the title.
The women’s doubles title went to Chisato Hori-Aoi Matsuda who defeated compatriots Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi 22-02, 21-18 in an all-Japanese final.
Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai, the top seeds, won the mixed doubles final – defeating second seeds Praveen Jordan-Melati Daeva Oktavianti of Indonesia in straight games 22-20, 21-14.

PENANG COACH TOMAS TRUCHA ON THE WAY OUT?

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Pic credit to PFC
PETALING JAYA, Nov 8 – Penang FC went great guns in the Super League this season with a third-place finish under Czech coach Tomas Trucha who took over the hot-seat from Manzoor Azwira who does not have a AFC pro coaching license.
The Czech, however, is on the firing range after the Panthers are now the whipping boys in the country’s oldest tournament – the Malaysia Cup (which is celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year) without a win in Group A.
Trucha’s name vibrates at the stadium during Penang’s Malaysia Cup matches – let it be at home or away.
On Sunday, the Panthers played Kuala Lumpur City FC at the KLFA Stadium with the City Boys coming off 1-0 winners.
Before the match against KL City the Panthers suffered huge defeats to Sri Pahang – losing 4-0 in Kuantan and 5-0 at the City Stadium in Penang.
Loyal and hardcore Penang fans were at the stadium in Cheras for the match against KL City. In a bizarre twist of events, the Czech is now hated man. Penang fans want Trucha out and banners have been unfurled to show their disappointment with the coach.
Sports politics in Malaysia is a dirty trend. It is prime factor that can destroy a team, especially when the team or association has achieved success. Penang is not alone in this aspect.
As we all know that everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon of success. Success is destroyed by individuals or a group who play politics.
Penang is victim of such dirty trends in Malaysia. Penang is not alone as there are other teams who have fallen victim to this disease.
Those with clout will try to bring in their “gang” to make hay while the sun shines. The latest hot signing is 2016 FIFA Puskas Award winner Faiz Subri has further divided the team and the management. The 35-year-od striker has reportedly signed a one year deal for the 2022 season.
Manzoor had no AFC pro coaching license and Trucha landed the Penang job after he abandoned his Kenyan club AFC Leopards, a Premier League side, after only one match, following threats of bodily harm to him and his agent.
According to reliable sources, the Czech, however, has not been in the good books of some directors of Penang FC because he has a ”split personality” and wants things to be done his way.
The selection of some players by hidden hands to make money through deals for players is a sore point in the Penang FC. This matter will be discussed by the management when it meets in two days time.
Will Penang end the Malaysia Cup campaign without a win? This will be known on Wednesday when the Panthers wind up their Group A campaign with an away match against Sarawak United at the UiTM FC Stadium.

PELUMBA TBPR TIDAK PERLU BERASA KECEWA DENGAN AKSI DI TANGKAK

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TANGKAK (Johor), 7 Nov – Barisan pelumba Tune Boss Pink Racing (TBPR) tdak perlu berasa  kecewa meskipun berdepan prestasi tidak menentu pada saingan Pusingan 7 dan 8 kejuaraan Cub Prix Malaysia yang berakhir di Litar Lumba Tangkak hari ini.

Sebagai pendatang baharu dalam kejuaraan nasional berprestij itu, mereka seharusnya berasa bangga kerana tetap mampu memberi saingan kepada barisan pelumba lain yang memiliki pengalaman luas dalam sukan dua roda itu.

Tiada apa yang perlu dikecewakan – sebaliknya mereka harus bermegah kerana telah berjaya melonjakkan nama pasukan yang belum pun mencecah usia ‘setahun jagung’ itu di landasan yang betul dalam Cub Prix.

Pasukan yang baharu ditubuhkan akhir tahun lalu itu memang diakui berada dalam keadaan serba kekurangan berbanding pasukan elit lain dalam Cub Prix, tetapi ia tidak melunturkan semangat pengurusan pasukan bagi memacu Tune Boss Pink Racing ke landasan yang tepat.

Tampil dalam keadaan yang serba kekurangan itu sebenarnya sudah menjadi satu kemenangan buat barisan pelumba TBPR kerana mereka tetap bersatu hati dalam misi untuk membawa pasukan tersebut ke satu tahap yang lebih tinggi lagi.

Hanya masa yang akan menentukannya – dengan syarat semua pelumba serta kru pasukan terus mengamalkan semangat kekeluargaan tanpa mengira latar belakang. Andai berupaya meraih kejayaan suatu hari nanti di Cub Prix, TBPR pasti berada dalam perhatian para penaja.

Minggu ini TBPR bertandang ke Litar Lumba Tangkak Johor tanpa mengharapkan sebarang kejutan pada saingan Pusingan 7 dan 8. Mereka tidak mengimpikan penamat podium dan jika ia berlaku, ia adalah satu bonus.

Misi mereka adalah untuk meneruskan perjuangan dengan harapan para pelumbanya tetap berupaya meraih mata kejuaraan dan ternyata hasrat tersebut tidak menghampakan.

Para pelumbanya terus gagah meraih mata kejuaraan meskipun bersaing dengan keadaan jentera mereka yang tidak seratus peratus sempurna. Namun, mereka masih mampu melontarkan saingan sengit – dan ini mungkin sudah boleh dianggap satu kemenangan buat TBPR.

Mengimbas aksi saingan Pusingan 7 pada hari Sabtu, barisan pelumba TBPR wajar berbangga kerana dua pelumbanya berjaya menempatkan diri dalam kelompok 10 terbaik ketika sesi kelayakan kelas CP125.

Harith Farhan Baharin muncul pelumba keempat terpantas pada sesi kelayakan itu manakala Saiful Azhary Muhamad  berada di tempat kelapan.

Kejayaan itu membuktikan barisan pelumba TBPR mampu memberi saingan ketika jentera yang mereka tunggang tidak berada dalam situasi seratus peratus sempurna.

Meskipun gagal meraih kedudukan terbaik pada perlumbaan akhir, namun Harith telah menamatkan perlumbaan Pusingan 7 itu di kedudukan ke-10, sekali gus meraih 6 mata kejuaraan manakala seorang lagi pelumba TBPR, Siti Norafizah Mohamad @ Fifi tampil berbangga untuk berada di kedudukan ke-15 dengan meraih satu mata.

Malang bagi Saiful pada perlumbaan tersebut kerana dia gagal menamatkan perlumbaan gara-gara masalah mekanikal.

Perlumbaan akhir kelas CP125 pada Pusingan 7 itu dimenangi pelumba pasukan ONEXOX TKKR Racing team, Md Hafiza Rofa.

Hari ini (Ahad), episod duka kembali dilalui oleh Saiful yang sekali lagi gagal menamatkan perlumbaan pada saingan Pusingan 8.

Impiannya untuk melakar kejutan di kampung kelahirannya tidak kesampaian dan terpaksa meninggalkan litar kerana berdepan masalah dengan jentera yang ditunggangnya.

Namun, semangatnya tidak pernah luntur dan bertekad untuk kembali berjuang pada baki dua pusingan yang akan berlangsung di Sepang dalam tempoh dua minggu lagi.

Meskipun gagal mencipta sebarang kemenangan podium, namun kem TBPR sentiasa ceria kerana para pelumbanya tetap tidak mengecewakan.

Dalam keadaan yang tidak seratus peratus sempurna, para pelumbanya masih mampu meraih mata kejuaraan dan hari ini (pada Pusingan 8) Harith Farhan sekadar berbangga menghuni kedudukan ke-14 untuk meraih dua mata. Fifi pula menamatkan perlumbaan akhir Pusingan 8 itu di kedudukan ke-17.

Perlumbaan akhir Pusingan 8 hari ini, sekali lagi didominasi oleh pelumba ONEXOX TKKR Racing Team, Md Hafiza Rofa.

Ia tetap pencapaian yang boleh dibangga buat pasukan kerdil seperti TBPR – lebih-lebih lagi dengan semangat juang mereka yang tidak pernah luntur dalam setiap pusingan yang diharungi.

Malah, kejayaan mereka bukan sekadar berupaya meraih mata kejuaraan, sebaliknya sudah berjaya menjejak kaki di podium kemenangan menerusi Harith Farhan pada saingan di Sepang dan Terengganu sebelum ini.

Justeru, tiada apa yang perlu dikecewakan kerana mereka kini sedang melalui satu proses untuk berdiri sama tinggi dengan pasukan-pasukan elit yang lain.

Selepas berakhirnya saingan Pusingan 7 dan 8 di Litar Lumba Tangkak hari ini, pasukan TBPR kini berada di kedudukan keenam keseluruhan kategori pasukan dengan meraih 98 mata.

Bagi kategori pelumba pula, Farhan berada di kedudukan kelapan keseluruhan dengan mengumpul 67 mata manakala Fifi di kedudukan ke-14 dengan 20 mata.

Saiful yang baharu menyertai pasukan TBPR pada Pusingan 3 lalu, boleh dikatakan agak cemerlang dan kini dia berada di kedudukan ke-18 dengan 12 mata.

Kedudukan pendahulu keseluruhan bagi kelas CP125 kini diterajui pelumba Ipone Yamaha YY Pang Racing Team, Md Adib Rosley yang sudah meraih 150 mata.

Kejuaraan ini akan bersambung pada 17 hingga 19 Disember nanti dengan dua lagi pusingan bakal dilangsungkan iaitu Pusingan 9 dan 10 di Litar Sepang Utara.

‘ONG’ COMES KIM SWEE’S WAY AS SABAH FC REMAIN IN MALAYSIA CUP HUNT

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PETALING JAYA, Nov 7 – Sabah FC has been thrown a Malaysia Cup lifeline following a 2-1 win over Kelantan FC at the Likas Stadium, Kota Kinabalu in a Group D match on Saturday.
A last minute goal by substitute Sharizan Saidin swung the fortunes Sabah’s way as it garnered important three points that kept the Rhinos in the hunt for a top two finish in the group.
Defending champions Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) have already qualified for the quarter-finals with an unbeaten record after five matches.
The Southern Tigers have 15 points after defeating Petaling Jaya City FC 2-1 in a come-from-behind win at the Petaling Jaya Stadium on Saturday.
JDT next plays Kelantan FC at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium in Kota Bharu on Tuesday.
On the same day, Sabah will be at home to PJ City – a match that is all important as it decides who will advance to the knockout stage as group runners-up.
Both PJ City and Sabah have five points each but PJ City is in second place on a goal difference. PJ City has a 5-5 goal tally against Sabah’s 5-9.
Sharizan struck in the 90th minute for the winner. Earlier, Kelantan grabbed the lead in the 5th minute with a long range attempt. Former international Amri Yahyah equalised two minutes later from the penalty spot.
Meanwhile, at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium in Kota Bharu, Kedah FC thumped Kelantan United 3-1 in a Group C match to move up to second in the table standings with 12 points from matches.
Melaka United leads the group with 13 points from the same number of matches.
The other team in Group C is Negeri Sembilan. The Deer, however, have withdrawn from the Malaysia Cup because the team was hit by Covid19.

ZII JIA LIMPS INTO HYLO OPEN FINAL

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KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 – It will be left to be seen if Malaysia top men’s shuttler Lee Zii Jia  can ride on his luck when he plays Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew, ranked 40 in the Hylo Badminton Open in Saarbrucken, Germany on Sunday.
The Malaysian number one, ranked No 8, overcame India’s former World No 1 K. Srikanth in the semi-final with a 21-19, 22-20 win within 44 minutes.
The Penang-born Kean Yew, continued his run in the German meet with a 21-18, 21-12 win over India’s Lakshya Sen in 46 minutes.
For the record, Kean Yew, goes into the final with a psychological advantage of having beaten the Malaysian in last month’s French Open in the first round when he knocked out the reigning All-England champion in straight games 24-22, 21-14.
Zii Jia certainly had luck on his side against Srikanth when the Indian buckled under pressure in the second game after losing the first 21-19.
Srikanth was leading 15-9 before the Malaysian got second wind to get back into the picture.
The BWF Super 500 World Tour event will also feature a Singaporean in the women’s singles final.
Yeo Jian Min will plays Thailand’s fifth seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan for the title after she upset No 3 seed Michelle Li of Canada in three games – 21-12, 23-25, 21-12.
In the other semifinal Ongbamrungphan defeated compatriot Phittayaporn Chaiwan in a three-game thriller to prevail 16-21, 21-17, 21-18.
Most of the top players did not participate in this year’s Hylo Open.

HIGH AND LOW FOR ZII JIA AS HE REACHES HYLO OPEN SEMIS

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KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 – Malaysia’s top men’s shuttler Lee Zii Jia lived dangerously in the second game before clinching a 21-13, 22-20 win over Thailand’s No 8 seed Kantaphon Wangcharoen in the quarter-finals at Hylo Badminton Open in Saarbrucken, Germany on Friday.
The 22-year-old second seed seemed to be cruising into the last four with a 21-13 win in the first game, winning points with his deceptive cross shots, punctured occasionally with his backhand smashes that often caught the Thai on the wrong foot.
However, Wangcharoen, came out blazing in the second game and a rubber game was on the cards.
The Thai grabbed a 16-6 lead before the Malaysian found his second win and reeled off 11 points in a row. The Thai refused to give up and it was 20-20 before Zii Jia wrapped it up at 22-20 in 41 minutes.
It was such a relief for Zii Jia who threw his racquet on the court that he let out a loud yell – probably to celebrate that he had saved himself the agony of a rubber game.
This is Zii Jia’s first semi-final on the European tour after reaching the quarter-finals in the Denmark Open in Odense and was a first round casualty in the French Open in Paris.
The reigning All-England champion will play the winner of the quarter-final tie between Hong Kong’s third seed Angus Ng Ka Long and India’s sixth seed K. Srikanth.

TANG JIE-YEN WEI DELIGHT IN HYLO OPEN

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KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 – While Lee Zii Jia once again struggled but still made the quarter-finals in the Hylo Badminton Open in Saarbrucken, Germany, mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Peck Yen Wei were the show stealers as they dumped England’s Marcus Ellis-Lauren Smith in the second-round on Thursday.
Ranked 49 in the world, the Malaysian who have dished out some pleasant results in Europe, came back strongly from one game down to prevail 18-21, 21-11, 21-15 in 55 minutes over the All-England semi-finalists.
For a place in the semi-finals, Tang Jie-Yen Wei will face Thailand’s Supak Jomkoh-Supissara Paewsampran in the quarter today.
After scalping the English third seeds who are ranked No 7, confidence has soared for the Malaysians and are capable of stopping the Thais to continue their march in the Super 500 event that offers USD320,000 in prize money.
Two other pairs in the mixed doubles and one each in the men’s and women’s doubles were shown the exit.
Newly formed men’s doubles professionals Tan Kian Meng-Tan Wee Kiong fell to second seeds Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan 14-21, 18-21 while women’s doubles Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien bowed out to fifth seeds Puttita Supajirakul-Sapsiree Taerattanachai of Thailand 8-21, 6-21.
In the mixed doubles Hoo Pang Ron-Cheah Yee See were no match for top seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree with the Thais advancing to the quarter-finals with a 21-10, 21-19 win while Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie were bundled out by Denmark’s Niclos Nohr-Amalie Magelund 21-14, 21-15.
Zii Jia was made to slog for his 22-20 win in the first game before stopping Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen 21-16 in the 38 minutes he was on the court.
In the quarter-finals the second seeded Malaysian takes on hard hitting Kantaphon Wangcharoen of Thailand. The Thai No 8 seed stopped India’s Sourabh Verma 21-13, 21-10 in the second round.

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