GLASGOW: National singles ace Chong Wei Feng stayed on track to defend Malaysia’s supremacy in the Commonwealth Games badminton events after registering an important win at the Emirates Arena here yesterday.
Wei Feng, installed as the top seed after the withdrawal of Datuk Lee Chong Wei due to injury, swept aside Tony Stephenson from Northern Ireland in straight sets of 21-15, 21-10 in a third round match. Wei Feng’s next opponent is R V Gurusaidutt from India in the quarterfinals.
“The real battle will start at the quarterfinal stage but I hope to retain the country’s gold medal in the event. This is my maiden Commonwealth Games and I have been maintaining my focus to win every match,” he told reporters after his match.
Apart from Wei Feng, another men’s singles player from Malaysia, Liew Daren also marched into the quarterfinals after beating D. Karunaratna from Sri Lanka in straight sets of 21-19, 21-12. Liew will meet Kashyap Parupalli from India later yesterday.
Malaysia have a proud track record in the Commonwealth Games since its shuttlers have won the men’s singles gold at six consecutive Commonwealth Games through Rashid Sidek in 1990 and 1994, Wong Choo Hann (1998), Hafiz Hashim (2002) and Chong Wei in 2006 and 2010.
Meanwhile, in the women’s competition, national singles hopeful Tee Jing Yi defeated N Murukkuwadura from Sri Lanka 21-9, 21-6 to book her berth in the last eight where she will meet P C Thulasi of India. — Bernama