"Saya perlu peningkatan ranking dalam memperbaiki banyak ruang dalam skuad remaja badminton negara."
Demikian tegas ketua jurulatih, Kwan Yoke Meng, selepas aksi hambar dalam Kejohanan Badminton Remaja Dunia di Kazan, Russia bulan lalu.
Skuad negara sekadar menamatkan saingan acara berpasukan di tempat kesembilan berbanding tempat kelima musim lalu selain rata-rata acara individu hanya mara sehingga ke peringkat suku akhir.
Lebih-lebih lagi gandingan beregu campuran yang merupakan senior dalam skuad remaja, Yap Roy King–Gan Jin Err, yang sepatutnya membantu mengutip mata kemenangan tetapi dikecewakan wakil Hong Kong dalam acara berpasukan manakala terkandas dalam acara individu di peringkat suku akhir di tangan wakil Thailand.
Kini, jurulatih berkenaan menuntut anak buahnya supaya didedahkan dengan pelbagai kejohanan dalam misi menaikkan ranking mereka menjelang Kejohanan Dunia tahun depan.
"Saya tidak mahu berikan alasan.
"Selain Roy King, Jin Err dan Ooi Jhy Dar, pemain selebihnya bukanlah pemain pilihan dalam kejohanan.
"Walaupun kalah di peringkat awal seperti beregu lelaki, iaitu Ching Kai Feng-Lwi Sheng Hao, namun mereka mempamerkan prestasi yang bagus sebelum tunduk kepada juara, Leo Rolly Carnando-Daniel Marthin, dari Indonesia," katanya.
Skuad muda negara bakal menghadapi Kejohanan Belia Antarabangsa di Korea Selatan hujung bulan ini selain Kejohanan Belia Singapura bulan depan.
"Pemain yang sudah berumur 19 tahun perlu beralih ke bahagian senior atau menjadi pelapis.
"Sementara itu, kami mungkin akan lebih menekankan pemain berumur 17 tahun untuk terbabit dalam banyak kejohanan," tambahnya.
Penulis Jemputan
Wed Oct 16 2019
Championship run-in: Where the top four stand in race for automatic promotion
Leicester face Southampton in a crucial game on Tuesday night.
Stuart Attwell named in VAR team for Euro 2024 amid Forest controversy
The news comes two days on from Attwell’s officiating being criticised by Forest after their loss at Everton.
Durham chief insists issues with the ECB are in the past
The county were stripped of Test status and demoted in 2016 following ECB sanctions.
Chong Wei thanks Paris 100 for gathering him, Lin Dan, Peter Gade and Taufik
Lee Chong Wei paid a special tribute to the Paris 100 Exhibition Match organizers for inviting him to a legends’ match-up featuring the sport’s finest shuttlers that included Lin Dan, Taufik Hidayat and Peter-Gade recently.
Barcelona could demand Real Madrid replay if ‘phantom goal’ deemed legal
VAR ruled Lamine Yamal’s shot had not crossed the line during Barca’s 3-2 defeat at the Bernabeu
Football rumours: Five clubs in the race to sign Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise
The 22-year-old has scored seven goals in 14 games for the Eagles this season.
Knicks, Nuggets, Cavs take 2-0 series leads
Knicks, Nuggets, Cavs go up 2-0
Daniel Farke says seven-goal thriller was ‘good advertisement’ for Championship
Mikel Arteta says Mauricio Pochettino was ‘like a father’ to him as young player
Arteta played alongside the Chelsea boss at Paris St Germain before their rise as coaches in Europe’s top divisions.
Mauricio Pochettino says Enzo Fernandez will be ‘much better’ next season
The boss believes it is unfair to compare the impact of his fellow Argentinian at Chelsea to that of Declan Rice at Arsenal.