Mixed doubles champions Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing (right) and runners-up Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Jemie Lai display their prize collection.
SIBU: Badminton fans who watched the just concluded Victor Far East Malaysia Masters (VFEMM) 2017 have nothing but praise for the organisers for bringing the event to Sibu.
Never mind that the tournament did not attract the likes of Lin Dan or Lee Chong Wei but the presence of other international stars like eventual singles champions Angus Ng Ka Long of Hong Kong and India’s Saina Nehwal allowed fans to savour world-class performances right before their eyes.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) 2nd tier championship was organised by Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) in collaboration with the Sarawak Government through the Sarawak Sports Council, Sibu Resident’s Office and Sarawak Badminton Association.
It attracted a total of 261 players from 16 countries: Brunei, Spain, France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, Korea, South Africa, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Ukraine, USA and Malaysia.
It was unfortunate that China did not send any player due to the clash of dates with its own domestic league. Also missed were Malaysia’s very own Olympic silver medallists namely men’s doubles Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong and mixed doubles Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying who had to withdraw due to injury.
But still, good performances put up by other national shuttlers Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing and Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Jemie Lai (mixed doubles) and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin (men’s doubles) brought much cheer to the home crowd.
According to organisers, almost 1,000 spectators were drawn to the stadium during the first three days of competition.
For the quarter and semi-finals, more than 2,000 turned up and, on the final day, over 3,000 people thronged the stadium, causing a massive traffic jam in the vicinity of the stadium.
The response was so overwhelming that it caught the organisers by surprise.
One thing is certain – the event will go a long way to help promote Sibu in the eyes of foreign visitors.
2017 is Visit Sibu Year and the Malaysia Masters is the best possible start to promote Sibu.
Men’s singles champion Ng Kah Long, in his post-match interview, said he would like to return to play in Sibu if given the chance while women’s singles champion Saina Nehwal said she would remember Sibu for a long time to come as it was her first international title in the four months since coming back from a knee surgery.
“I am still not at my best and hopefully, I can stay injury free and I am happy with the big win in the Malaysia Masters starting of the year and Sibu has given me such a good memory,” she added.
Local badminton fan Peter Ting believed that staging such a major tournament would also help promote the sport among youngsters.
He appealed to Sarawak Badminton Association and the state government to lobby for more such sporting events to be held here.
“The best part is we already have the Sibu Indoor Stadium and it should be fully utilised rather than being dubbed a White Elephant.
“It’s not necessary that it’s about badminton only…other sports like taekwondo and wushu can also be staged at the stadium. Make it an annual event and once the momentum gets started, everything will be smooth sailing.”
Sibu Badminton Association treasurer Yong King Sung said it could also help promote the development of badminton in the central region.
“With a competition of such a scale, it will definitely help attract more youngsters to come and watch and this will inspire them to learn and emulate the fighting spirit of the players.”
Sport is a good career which should be encouraged as there was big money to be made once they were into it, Yong suggested.
Touching on the tickets prices, there were isolated complaints that the organisers were charging exorbitant fees.
However, Yong argued, spending only RM35 to watch the international badminton stars showcasing their skills and talents should be considered as really affordable.
With the positive vibes generated, it is hoped that the organisers could consider giving Sibu another chance to host the tournament.
Equipped with the latest state-of-the-art facilities, the RM39 million stadium completed last April and with the total seat capacity of 4,250 should be fully utilised.