BANGLADESH CELEBRATES SAF GAMES SUCCESS
Monday, 08 Feb 2010
Since the inception of the South Asian Games way back in 1984, Bangladesh had been consistently among the medal winners. Though not a powerhouse in the region which through the years had been dominated by India , Bangladesh athletes had performed reasonably well against the rest who make up the regional body - Pakistan , Sri Lanka , Nepal , Bhutan , Maldives and Afghanistan .   At the First Games in Kathmandu , Bangladesh won 2 gold medals and a total of 23 in all colours, which had them ranked as the fourth highest behind India (88), Sri Lanka (37) and home nation Nepal (24). Its best performance came at the second series in its own backyard in Dhaka where it won a total of 64 medals including 9 gold medals. The nation’s best gold medal haul was at the 6 th Games in Islamabad in 1993 where it won 11 medals.

INDIAN COMPLETES A CLEAN SWEEP IN DHAKA
Friday, 05 Feb 2010
After completing a sweep of the team competition at the South Asian Games in the Bangladesh city of Dhaka over the weekend by beating Sri Lanka 3-0 in both the Men and Ladies events, India continued its domination in the Individual championships by posting both finalists in all the five disciplines.   Though not fielding some of its more reputed players like Saina Nehwal, Jwala Gupta, Arvind Bhat and Anup Sridhar, the Indians were still a potent force over their neighbours in the region.   The seven gold medal haul was excitedly welcomed by Indian coach Dipankar Bhattacharjee. “We were good throughout the tournament but to have had finalists in all the five disciplines in the individual championship was very welcome,” the coach was to remark at the conclusion of the badminton events at the SAF Games.

INDIA KICKSTARTS WITH TEAM WHITEWASH AT THE SAF GAMES
Thursday, 04 Feb 2010
India wasted little time in picking up a ‘double’ in the Team Events of the 11 th SAF Games in Dhaka . The nation had dominated badminton in all previous occasions, and its seriousness at maintaining that record was already evident when the team list for the Games was announced.   Except for the ranked Saina Nehwal , India was represented by its strongest lineup. Probably the reasons could be two-fold - to ensure that both the men and the ladies returned home with Gold medals, and also a show of solidarity among members of the South Asia nations to give credibility to the Games by having the best and the strongest participate in them.

Maldives Training Stint 2009
Thursday, 04 Feb 2010
  Maldives National Team Training Stint   Excerpt   “The Maldives team with BAC Support Team at Malaysia Olympic Sports Hotel on the last day of their South Asia Games preparation training stint in Malaysia .”   Article   The Maldives National Team Training Stint in Malaysia came to an end with the players all set for their action in Dhaka , Bangladesh for the South Asia Games. Under the guidance of BAC Coach, Mr. Choong Kee Cheong, the team went through training and competition from 13 th January to 25 th January 2010 in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia .               The Stint was a joint effort between the Badminton Association of Maldives, Maldives National Olympic Committee, Badminton Asia Confederation and the Malaysian National Olympic Committee.   Badminton Asia Confederation development officer, Mr. M. Jivananthan Nair said “the joint effort for the succession of this stint is a role model for other member association to create similar opportunities for their national association. We encourage others to follow suit in working with us to organise development programs in their country and region overall”.                                                          

TWO DOWN AND TEN TO GO FOR CHONG WEI
Wednesday, 27 Jan 2010
Lee Chong Wei enjoyed a new high at the Malaysian Open on Sunday 24 th January in Kuala Lumpur . He won the event for the 6 th time, scored his first back-to-back success in the Super Series and continued his reign as the top ranked player in the world. The absence of Lin Dan who, two weeks earlier had also skipped the Korean Open, did little to taint that triple accolade.   Visibly disappointed at the absence of Lin Dan in Kuala Lumpur , the Malaysian expressed “the whole world is waiting for my next battle with Lin Dan. Hopefully it materializes at the All England .” The English leg is the next in the Super Series, from 9 th March.   One can probably understand Chong Wei’s disappointment at the Chinese ace’s withdrawal from the two opening legs. After closing off 2009 with the Masters Title, Chong Wei looks to have hit his best form coming into the new year. He has been quite irresistible in Seoul and Kuala Lumpur .

CHONG WEI THROWS DOWN THE GAUNLET AT KOREAN OPEN
Tuesday, 19 Jan 2010
Malaysia ’s Lee Chong Wei has offered himself ‘to be beaten’…. at least that’s the impression one gets in the wake of his confident performance at the 2010 Korean Open Super Series.   Since his demoralizing trouncing at the hands of China ’s Lin Dan at the Beijing Olympics, the world’s top ranked singles player has been gradually picking up the pieces. An injury did not help make matters easy either but if anything Chong Wei’s determination is finally paying off. Under the continued guidance of the old warrior Misbun Sidek, the Malaysian seems to have finally found himself in a position to justify his status as not only as the top-ranked player but also the best in the business.

THE OFTEN ‘UNSEEN’ BUT INDISPENSIBLE TECHNICAL OFFICIALS
Tuesday, 05 Jan 2010
It is a common feature at any and all championships, be at badminton or other sports, that the main focus of attention to be the players, particular the famous ones and the prettier ladies. Spectators and fans tend to save their loudest applause for them and remember them long after the tournament is over and forgotten.   Unfortunately one group of officials who had played a significant role at these same championships often attracts the least attention unless of course they had committed some serious distraction that brings them into focus.   In badminton we call this select group of people, technical officials – referees, umpires and line judges. Their role in the success of any tournament is beyond measure, considerable in fact. It is their presence around the playing arena that ensures that tournaments are run smoothly and in accordance with the laws of the sport. They are indispensable at any championship.  

KOREAN OPEN TO LAUNCH 2010 SUPER SERIES
Monday, 04 Jan 2010
The Korean Open will kick off the 2010 Super Series with its US300,000 prize money on 12 th January. In previous years, the Korean Championships, one of the richest in the series had followed the opening leg in Kuala Lumpur but this season, the Malaysian event will be the second in the 12-leg series. According to confirmed entries, Lin Dan, Taufik Hidayat and Sony Dwi Kuncoro have opted out from the Men Singles which will place Lee Chong Wei in a favourably position to use the championship as the launchpad for a good start to the new year. The Open will also witness the absence of a number of top players, primarily from China in all five disciplines. In Ladies Singles, the top two Chinese, Wang Yihan and Wang Lin and India ’s Saina Nehwal will not be in action as well as four of the world’s leading Doubles pairs - Ma Jin & Wang Xiaoli and Du Jing & Yu Yang of China , Malaysians Chin Hui Eii & Wong Pei Tty and Lee Hyo-jung & Lee Kyung Won of Korea .