Liew Daren is no stranger to the local badminton scene, but some may say especially so in recent times. Datuk Lee Chong Wei has always hogged the limelight when it comes to men’s singles; not that it’s surprising, but the likes of Daren Liew have always played second fiddle to the former World No. 1. But ever since the doping scandal involving Chong Wei erupted into the scene, the focus was shifted to the other singles’ players within the squad, particularly Liew Daren. Throughout the last two months of 2014, he was visibly subjected to massive amounts of pressure from the Badminton Associaton of Malaysia; with certain individuals within the association scapegoating him for Malaysia’s failures on the international scene. 2015 though, is well alive and kicking as we caught up with the man himself for a quick chat!
FO: While many would claim that 2014 was mainly a frustrating year for you, that does not include the fact that you secured your inaugural national title by winning the Perak Open. Congrats on that! What was it like to end the national hoodoo?
LD: Well it was generally a bad year for me because I was down with a few injuries throughout the year, thus affecting my performance. Winning the Perak Open was definitely a huge relief as it was my first local title after so many years. Hopefully there will be more to come this year.
FO: You recently revealed that you were contemplating the idea of departing BAM right after the Perak Open. Could you shed some light on that?
LD: Honestly, the idea of departing BAM occurred to me before the Perak Open as at that point in time, I felt that my game was heading nowhere and that my performance wasn’t good. However, after the Perak Open, I discussed it with the management and decided that it was probably in my best interest to stay on.
FO: Quite a number of people have criticized you, particularly Datuk Norza Zakaria. He claimed that your poor performance was the reason behind Malaysia’s inability to win the Axiata Cup. Do you feel that you were unfairly made the scapegoat?
LD: I don’t agree with his statement at all, because I actually won all my matches during the Axiata Cup and remained unbeaten for the whole tournament.
FO: You’re considered one of the more senior players in the team alongside the likes of Datuk Lee Chong Wei. In your opinion, what needs to be done to improve the youth system?
LD: In my opinion, coaches who are appointed to train the youth in our country should be highly qualified. This will ensure that the youngsters are adequately trained when it comes to the basics of badminton.
FO: Considering that you work closely with Datuk Lee Chong Wei, could you share some thoughts on how he’s been coping with the entire doping scandal as whole?
LD: He has been really positive in coping with the entire scandal. He even decided to continue training now, despite being suspended indefinitely. He’s even sparring with us to prepare us for upcoming tournaments. That shows how mentally strong he is.
FO: Do you have any specific aims and aspirations for the new year?
LD: My aim this year is to stay injury-free and to improve my performance in the tournaments that I will be participating in .I also would like to improve my ranking and break into the top 20 by the end of the year and ultimately qualify for the Olympic Games.
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