Flying Start For Chong Wei In Badminton Asia Championships

KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 (Bernama) — Malaysian badminton ace, Lee Chong Wei got off to a flying start by advancing to the second round in the 2018 Badminton Asia Championships in Wuhan, China, Wednesday. The world number seven shuttler who is gunning for his third Asian title, defeated Chinese young shuttler, Qiao Bin; winning in 21-17 and 21-16 in the opening round match held at Wuhan Sports Center, according to the Badminton World Federation (BWF) website;www.bwfbadminton.com. Chong Wei, the fifth seed, is slated to meet Anthony Sinisuka Ginting in the second round, tomorrow after the Indonesian player edged Niluka Karunaratne of Sri Lanka; 22-20 and 21-12 in another first round encounter. In the men’s doubles division, national top pair, Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong are the only Malaysian survivors as three other pairs were beaten by their respective opponents in the opening match. Goh-Tan, the eighth seed, defeated Liao Min Chun-Su Ching Heng of Taiwan;winning 24-22 and 22-20. Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Muhd Rumsani lost 22-20, 18-21 and 17-21 to Lu Ching Yao-Yang Po Han of Taiwan while Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi were beaten by Indonesian pair, Angga Pratama-Rian Agung Saputro;losing 17-21 and 23-25, and Chooi Kah Ming-Low Juan Shen also booted out from the competition after losing 16-21, 21-18 and 16-21. National women’s doubles pair, Soong Fie Cho-Tee Jing Yi also booked their spot in the second round by defeating Indian qualifier, Kuhoo Garg-Ningshi Block Hazarika;21-10 and 21-12. Another Malaysian pair, Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean, however, crashed out from the competition after losing 12-21 and 7-21 to the third seeds, Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota of Japan. National mixed double pair, the sixth seeded Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Jemie Lai also made it to the second round by dislodging Lee Yang-Hsu Ya Ching of Taiwan;21-19 and 21-6. Another national pair, seventh seeded Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing, however, failed to advance further after they suffered an unexpected 21-18, 12-21 and 16-21 defeat to unheralded Chinese pair, He Jiting-Du Yue. Malaysia’s interest in the women’s singles fizzled out after two players- Goh Jin Wei and Lee Ying Ying lost to their respective opponents. — BERNAMA