Once Bitten, Twice Shy - Skipper Lee Chong Wei has issued a rallying cry to the national badminton team to turn the tables on Japan in the quarter-finals of the Sudirman Cup in Gold Coast, Australia.
Malaysia had lost 3-2 to Japan in their final Group C tie in the world mixed team event at the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre on Wednesday.
While the 34-year-old Chong Wei and mixed doubles pair Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing won their ties, world No. 6 Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong (men’s doubles), Goh Jin Wei (women’s singles) and Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean (women’s doubles) lost theirs.
So, when Malaysia meet Japan in the quarter-finals today, Chong Wei and Co are looking at stealing points from the men’s singles and doubles and mixed doubles.
“Our plan against Japan (on Wednesday) was to take points in the two men’s events and the mixed doubles.
“We came close to doing it, but V Shem-Wee Kiong were unlucky to lose (to Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda).
“I’m sure they’ll be more motivated now to avenge that defeat.”
It was V Shem-Wee Kiong’s third defeat to the world No. 5 Japanese pair.
“We have to admit that Japan are stronger than us in the women’s events. Jin Wei and Meng Yean-Mei Kuan faced higher-ranked opponents and we knew it would be an uphill task,” said Chong Wei.
Seventeen-year-old world No. 37 Jin Wei lost to world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi for the third time in her career while world No. 25 Mei Kuan-Meng Yean put up a spirited display despite losing to Olympic champions Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi.
Chong Wei said that Malaysia are likely to field the same team.
“We’ll be out to upstage Japan with the same game plan, except this time we want everyone to play better.
“We’ll let the coaches pick the line-up but, I think, it’ll probably be the same,” he said.
“Japan are not unbeatable. We can upset them ... we’ll go all out and take our chances tomorrow (today).”
At the 2015 Sudirman Cup in Dongguan, China, Malaysia upset South Korea in the group tie but lost to them in the quarter-finals.
If Malaysia beat Japan, they will take on the winners of the match between 10-time champions China and surprise quarter-finalists India.
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