Pengarah Teknikal Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM), Morten Frost, sudah mempunyai bayangan pemain yang bakal menggalas cabaran negara bagi menghadapi kempen Piala Sudirman di Gold Coast, Australia, Mei nanti.
Majlis undian yang dijalankan hari ini menyaksikan Malaysia diletakkan dalam Kumpulan C bersama-sama Jepun dan England.
Berdasarkan prestasi semasa barisan negara, Malaysia diramal berpeluang cerah untuk mara ke suku akhir.
Begitu pun, Frost enggan mendedahkan senarai pemain yang akan menggalas tugas dalam Piala Sudirman sehingga Kejohanan Badminton Terbuka Malaysia bulan depan berakhir.
"Saya sudah mempunyai bayangan siapa yang akan dipilih nanti.
"Kemungkinan besar kami akan membariskan dua calon bagi setiap kategori.
"Untuk itu, kami berkemungkinan besar akan menyenaraikan seramai 16 pemain selain pemain sokongan dan jurulatih," katanya.
Bagi pemain negara, mereka mengakui Jepun dan England mampu menghadirkan tentangan sengit.
Justeru, kehadiran mereka tidak seharusnya diperlekehkan andai tidak mahu berputih mata.
"Saya berasakan pertemuan Malaysia dengan Jepun nanti merupakan cabaran paling sukar.
"Ini kerana kedua-dua negara mempunyai pemain perseorangan lelaki dan beregu campuran yang hebat.
"Kalau kami dapat beraksi dengan baik, ia tidak akan menjadi masalah," ujar pemain perseorangan utama wanita negara, Goh Jin Wei.
Pemain beregu campuran negara, Tan Kian Meng, pula berpandangan, "Peluang bertemu England lebih besar, sementara bertemu Jepun, peluang Malaysia adalah 50-50."
Stadium Astro
Fri Mar 17 2017
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