Badminton men’s singles coach Hendrawan believes that the national squad has no reason to fear South Korea as they prepare to face each other in the Sudirman Cup opener.
The South Koreans have won the competition three times throughout their history, and while Malaysia will be heading into this one as underdogs, due to their recent struggles, Hendrawan has urged his men to give their all.
“On paper, they are definitely better than us, but we will be giving it our best shot. It’s normal for all teams to stutter at the beginning of a competition,” Hendrawan was quoted as saying by Kosmo.
“Therefore, there’s still a fighting chance for us to win. Sudirman Cup is a team championship, so anything can happen in the first match,” he added.
The other nation in Malaysia’s group is India, and should they lose to South Korea, only a win against India will take them into the quarter-finals.
“We need to win against India if we want to get past the group stage but do not underestimate India because the odds between us are 50-50.
“After the tie against South Korea, we will sit down and discuss about strategies to defeat India. That’s precisely why the first match is important.”
Photo credits: artefak.com
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