Prestasi hambar dalam beberapa pertandingan kebelakangan ini tidak menggugat semangat pemain beregu campuran negara, Tan Kian Meng, dalam persiapan menghadapi Kejohanan Dunia di Nanjing, China, minggu depan.
Kian Meng bersama gandingannya, Lai Pei Jing, mengalami kemerosotan prestasi selepas tiga kali berturut-turut terkandas dalam pusingan pertama Kejohanan Terbuka Malaysia, Indonesia serta Thailand.
Lantaran itu, timbul persoalan terhadap gandingan ini sama ada mereka mampu memberikan cabaran lebih hebat di Nanjing.
"Situasi kami tidak begitu bagus memandangkan (terkandas awal) dalam tiga kejohanan berturut-turut.
"Ia menyebabkan tahap keyakinan kami merundum sehingga menjejaskan permainan saya," kata Kian Meng selepas sesi latihan skuad badminton negara menerima kunjungan Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, hari ini.
Di Nanjing nanti, Kian Meng-Pei Jing akan memulakan aksi pusingan pertama menentang gandingan Taiwan, Liao Min Chun-Chen Hsiao Huan.
Selain Kian Meng-Pei Jing, Malaysia turut mempunyai dua lagi wakil beregu campuran dalam Kejohanan Dunia, iaitu Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying serta Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai.
Dengan Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) menyasarkan untuk sekurang-kurangnya meraih satu pingat dalam Kejohanan Dunia, Kian Meng percaya bahagian beregu campuran turut mempunyai peluang untuk mencapai sasaran berkenaan.
"Beregu campuran paling banyak menghantar cabaran berbanding perseorangan lelaki. Tetapi, saya percaya Peng Soon-Liu Ying boleh memberikan aksi terbaik," katanya lagi.
Penulis Jemputan
Fri Jul 20 2018
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