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Thai badminton queens reign to grab quarter-final spots

Jan 15. 2021Busanan Ongbamrungphan

By Lerpong Amsa-ngiam
THE NATION

Thailand’s world No 12 Busanan Ongbamrungphan snuffed the challenge of 2012 champion Saina Nehwal of India to advance to the last eight of the US$1-million Thailand Open with a 21-23 21-14 21-16 win at Impact Arena on Thursday.

Ratchanok Intanon

The 2017 finalist dug deep after conceding the first game to the former world No 1, showing stronger stamina to win their marathon battle in 68 minutes.

“Saina is renowned for her competitive nature, so I just tried to stay with her in the rallies. If she didn’t miss it, I wouldn’t miss. It was a really long match,” said a delighted Busanan, one of three Thais still in the women’s singles draw.

Supanida Katehong

The others are Ratchanbok Intanon, who tamed Germany’s Yvonne Li 21-11 21-15, and unfancied Supanida Katehong who beat Evgeniya Kosetskaya of Russia 21-16 21-8.

“I give her credit for trying to chase down all those shots, but I played better at key points,” said Ratchanok, who lined up a clash against An SeYoung of South Korea on Friday.

Fifth-seeded Carolina Marin of Spain also advanced after settling an old score with Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong 21-8 21-12.

The Spanish world No 6 avenged a heart-breaking home loss in the Barcelona Masters final in February last year with a 34-minute demolition of Pornpawee.

“I lost my last match to Pornpawee at the Barcelona Spain Masters, but that was a completely different situation [after] my father’s accident,” said the lefthanded Spaniard, a three-time world champion.

“I played there because it was in Spain and the people wanted to watch me. Now I feel much better and ready for this tournament,” added the fifth seed, who is targeting at least one title from the three BWF events taking place in Thailand until January 31.

Earlier on Thursday, world No 1 and top seed Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan booked his quarter-final berth by storming past South Korean Kim Ga Eun 21-16 21-10 in just 29 minutes.

“I felt better today and had less unforced errors compared to yesterday. It has been a while since the last tournament, and this is the same for everyone, so [these first few matches] are not easy,” said Tai, who won the All England Championship last March – the final tournament before world badminton entered 10 months of Covid-19 hibernation.

Viktor Axelsen

While Thai women triumphed on Thursday, it was a completely different story for their male compatriots. All three – Kantaphon Wangcharoen, Kosit Phetpradab and Kunlawut Vitidsarn – crashed out in straight games.

Booking quarter-final slots at their expense were tournament favourites Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan (world No 2), Denmark’s former world No 1 and ex-world champ Viktor Axelsen, and Asian Games gold medalist Jonatan Christie of Indonesia.

In the mixed doubles, top pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai shrugged off a first-game loss to beat Malaysia’s world No 12 Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie 20-22, 21-18, 21-12.

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Adiwang fights in honor of late mother

Jan 15. 2021

Team Lakay upstart Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang had a rough start to the year, as the 27-year-old from Baguio City, Philippines recently lost his mother Leticia, who has suffered multiple strokes since 2016. She passed away on 30 December, just before a tumultuous year ended for Adiwang.

“There is nothing a mother wants more than to see her child happy and successful. I know my mother loved me so much, and she just really didn’t want me to get hurt, which is why she didn’t fully accept me being a fighter with her whole heart,” said Adiwang.

“But I chose this career, and I believe she was happy to see me succeed in what I love to do. I know in my heart she is proud of me, and I will continue to live my life in her honor.”

Members of Team Lakay rushed to Adiwang’s aid, to show their support. The team, along with head coach Mark Sangiao, convened in the first few days of 2021, to attend the funeral service. After his mother was laid to rest, Adiwang expressed his intent to turn the year around.

“My teammates have always been there for me. They’ve supported me through the hardest times. They are like family to me. I am very lucky to have a good support system,” said Adiwang.

“Nothing has changed in my mindset. The goal remains the same for me. I’m climbing to the top. If anything, I just got more motivated and driven. I want to prove myself in this next fight, and to do that, I have to be at my best.”

Adiwang is scheduled to make his return to the ONE Circle at ONE: UNBREAKABLE, scheduled for Friday, 22 January in Singapore. It’s his first fight back since losing a close split decision to Japan’s Hiroba Minowa in November.

Adiwang maintains that the experiences he’s gone through in the past few months have only made him stronger.

“I am more motivated now than ever to achieve my goals, and apply the lessons I learned in 2020, especially. I know the pressure is on, and I can feel the pressure. I know I have to prove myself to the world again, to earn the people’s trust. I’m working on coming back stronger than ever,” said Adiwang.

“I think everything happens for a reason. My setbacks today will be what makes me a better fighter for tomorrow. All the hard work I’m putting in will pay off in God’s perfect time. I just want to thank everyone for their support in my darkest hour. The race has just begun for me, but I promise to finish strong.”

ONE: UNBREAKABLE is ONE Championship’s first live event in 2021. The main event features a ONE Super Series showdown between ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Alaverdi “Babyface Killer” Ramazanov of Russia, who defends his world title against #2-ranked bantamweight kickboxing contender Capitan Petchyindee Academy of Thailand.

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Ratchanok shakes off rust to make winning return at Thailand Open

Jan 14. 2021Ratchanok Intanon

By THE NATIONTwo-time champion Ratchanok Intanon was among top seeds cruising through to the second round of the $1.5-million Thailand Open at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani on Wednesday.

The world No 5, whose glittering career features two Thailand Open titles in 2013 and 2017, beat Yeo Jia Min of Singapore 21-15 21-15 to join countrywoman Pornpawee Chochuwong who picked off Neslihan Yigit of Turkey 22-20 21-13.

Playing her first tournament since the All England Championships in March last year, Ratchanok showed signs of rust from the long layoff but was sharp where it mattered on key points.

Thailand’s badminton queen admitted to nerves on her return after 10 months against an unfamiliar opponent.

“I tried to study her game at the start of the match as I had no idea about her strong and weak points. I pushed myself to stay in the game and took control,” said Ratchanok.

Playing without spectators due to strict Covid-19 rules, Ratchanok urged fans to stay safe and support Thai players from home.

“You can help by staying home, while I will try hard to do my part by producing good results. My target is reaching the semi-finals, which is something I’ve never done in a 1000 World Tour level event,” she added.

Also advancing on Wednesday was world No 6 Carolina Marin of Spain. The three-time world title holder (2014, 2015 and 2018) ousted Qi Xuefei of France 21-10 21-12.

“I came determined to win but also to keep focused on my game plan. Winning here is what I want,” said the 27-year-old lefthander.

In men’s singles first-round action, defending champion and world No 2 Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan shook off rust in the opening game to beat 2016 winner Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk of Thailand 16-21 21-10 21-14.

“He has a different style, so it is difficult to follow the shuttle,” said Chou. “He played really well at the net in the first game. I had to change my plan and move him and improve my attack and control to open the point up.”

Meanwhile, 

Former world No 1 Saina Nehwal of India put Tuesday’s nightmare behind her to beat Selvaduray Kisova of Malaysia 21-15 21-15 and move into the second round of the Thailand Open on Wednesday.

The Indian star had withdrawn from the US$1-million tournament on Tuesday after testing positive for Covid-19 – but was then allowed to re-enter after a negative test just hours later.

“On Tuesday I arrived at the courts but was immediately taken to hospital after my third test came back positive,” said Nehwal, adding she had already contracted and recovered from Covid-19 in November.

“I tried to explain [the Covid recovery] to the doctor and, after my blood tests and chest X-rays, the doctor said I was okay and did not have Covid-19,” said the Indian star, who thanked doctors and the Badminton World Federation for allowing her to play.

“It was a tiring day, but I’m happy I could come back and play my match,” said the 30-year-old from Hyderabad.

The current world No 20 was declared clear of the virus after her blood tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies on Tuesday evening.

She will play Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan in round two.

Her compatriot Prannoy HS, who was also allowed to re-enter the tournament after testing positive then negative, was less fortunate – beaten 13-21 21-14 21-8 by eighth-seeded Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia.

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Japan’s rising star Kanaya plans to

Jan 14. 2021Takumi KanayaRising Japanese star Takumi Kanaya has received countless advice in his fledgling professional golf career. But one piece of guidance stands out in particular, which has since become his life’s mantra.

As the 22-year-old prepares to take another crack on the PGA TOUR with an appearance at the Sony Open in Hawaii starting on Thursday, he will hold close to him the Japanese word “Gamushara,” which was passed on to him by his junior high school teacher.

 “Gamushara is a word that my teacher taught me when I graduated from junior high school and it really touched my heart, and I’ve carried it with me ever since. It’s hard to come up with a literal translation, but in my mind, it really means just one thing: Go for it. It’s a word I often remind myself of when things may be going poorly, that as a young kid I made a firm commitment to always just go for it,” said Kanaya.

 He intends to stick to his motto at the stunning Waialae Country Club in Honolulu this week when he comes up against a stellar field led by defending champion Cameron Smith of Australia. With his growing stature, Kanaya’s progress is followed closely by Japanese fans and media alike, many of which have likened his emergence to its nation’s current leading golfer, five-time PGA TOUR champion Hideki Matsuyama.

 This week will mark his sixth career start on the PGA TOUR, which Kanaya hopes to make the most of.

 “Wherever I go and regardless of the players, what stands out to me more than anything is the depth of the game and how the players all have their own individual strong points,” said Kanaya, who is in the field on a sponsor exemption. “Just being among these guys has motivated me to improve even more so that I can compete on their level in the future. I’ve also come to realize just how preeminent the PGA TOUR stage is and what I need to do in order to make it there.”

 As an amateur, Kanaya rose to world No. 1 and earned the prestigious Mark H. McCormack Medal in 2020. Amongst his other accolades include winning the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship in 2018, an event won twice previously by Matsuyama. In 2019, his talent continued to shine through when he defeated the pros at the Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheyo Masters on the Japan Golf Tour, and—after turning professional last October—he triumphed again on home soil at the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament, in what was his fourth start in the play-for-pay ranks.

 He is quick to brush aside comparisons to Matsuyama, who is also a former two-time winner of the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship. However, Kanaya hopes to emulate the high level of consistency which Matsuyama has exhibited in his career and reflected by seven successive appearances in the FedExCup Playoffs finale, the TOUR Championship.

 “It would be my honour to be able to compare with my senior Hideki Matsuyama, but I don’t think I’ve reached that level quite yet. I think the only thing we have in common is that we both went to the same university (Tohoku Fukushi University),” said Kanaya.

 “I think Hideki’s sense of stability and keeping his score together and not breaking down even when things are going poorly is remarkable. I can’t do that and want to learn how to become a more stable player by gaining more experience through my own trial and error.”

 His short-term goals are obvious, and he isn’t shy to share them.

 “I want to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics (in July). Also, securing status on the European Tour and PGA TOUR is something I want to achieve right away. In the long term, I want to become a world-class player competing at the highest level, winning majors, and becoming world No. 1,” said Kanaya.

 His quest to tick those boxes could well begin at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

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Indian star Nehwal back in Thailand Open after virus scare

Jan 13. 2021

Badminton’s former world No 1 Saina Nehwal is back in the US$1-million Thailand Open after her latest Covid-19 test came back negative.

Thai and world badminton bodies confirmed on Tuesday evening that three of the four players who tested positive earlier in the day have been cleared to take part in the first world tournament in 10 months after Covid-19 restrictions.

The trio back in competition at Impact, Muang Thong Thani are Nehwal and HS Prannoy of India, and Jones Ralfy Jansen of Germany.

The fourth player, Egypt’s Adham Hatem Elgamal, has been withdrawn.

The current world No 20 Nehwal and Prannoy were earlier taken to hospital while Jansen and Elgamal self-quarantined in their hotel. Nehwal’s husband Kashyap Parupalli also self-quarantined.

Prannoy, Jansen and Elgamal retested negative, while Nehwal was hit with a second positive test. The four players then underwent a second PCR test and an antibody blood test for further confirmation.

However, Nehwal, Prannoy and Jansen also tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies, showing they had been infected at some point in the past. The health panel overseeing the tournament was satisfied that the trio are not infected.

Elgamal tested negative for antibodies and was withdrawn to be quarantined in hospital for 10 days.

His mixed doubles partner Doha Hany is self-quarantining and will be tested daily until further notice. Egyptian women’s singles player Hadia Hosny is a close contact but can play if she tests negative.

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Sepang Tests cancelled

Jan 13. 2021

The FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports announced the cancellation of both the Shakedown Test and the Official Sepang Test.

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns and complications have obliged the cancellation of both events, which were set to take place at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia in February. 

The Qatar Test, currently set to take place at Losail International Circuit from the 10th to the 12th of March, continues to be confirmed and any further updates or changes will be provided as soon as available.  

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One Unbreakable kicks off in Singapore this month

Jan 13. 2021Capitan Petchyindee Academy ONE Championship announced that the promotion will broadcast its first event of 2021, ONE: UNBREAKABLE, on January 22 from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

This event continues ONE Championship’s partnership with the Singapore government to pilot the return of live international sports productions. The promotion will continue to offer 250 special in-person “Superfan” ticket packages priced at $148 SGD each, which come with premium, socially distanced seating and select ONE merchandise. 

The card will feature the following bouts:

• In the main event, reigning ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Alaverdi “Babyface Killer” Ramazanov of Russia defends his World Title against #2-ranked bantamweight kickboxing contender Capitan Petchyindee Academy of Thailand.
• In the co-main event, former ONE World Title challenger James Nakashima of the United States makes his lightweight debut against former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki of Japan.
• A heavyweight clash goes down in ONE Super Series when hard-hitters Rade Opacic of Serbia and Patrick “Big Swiss” Schmid of Switzerland collide in a kickboxing bout.
• Former ONE Welterweight World Champion Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam of Sweden takes on undefeated Russian athlete Gadzhimurad Abdulaev.
• Second-ranked women’s atomweight contender Meng Bo of China faces former ONE Women’s Strawweight World Title challenger Samara “Marituba” Santos of Brazil.
• China’s “Wolf of the Grasslands” Hexigetu looks to build on his three-bout winning streak against Filipino star Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang from the famed Team Lakay.

ONE: UNBREAKABLE

22 January 2021

Singapore Indoor Stadium

ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Championship

(C) Alaverdi Ramazanov vs. (2) Capitan Petchyindee Academy

Bantamweight: 61.3 KG – 65.8 KG

Mixed Martial Arts

(4) Shinya Aoki vs. James Nakashima

Lightweight: 70.4 KG – 77.1 KG

Kickboxing

Rade Opacic vs. Patrick Schmid

Heavyweight: 102.2 KG – 120.2 KG

Mixed Martial Arts

Zebaztian Kadestam vs. Gadzhimurad Abdulaev

Welterweight: 77.2 KG – 83.9 KG

Mixed Martial Arts

(2) Meng Bo vs. Samara Santos

Atomweight: 47.7 KG – 52.2 KG

Mixed Martial Arts

Hexigetu vs. Lito Adiwang

Strawweight: 52.3 KG – 56.7 KG

ONE: UNBREAKABLE II and ONE: UNBREAKABLE III will also take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, airing on 29 January and 5 February, respectively.

ONE: UNBREAKABLE II features two blockbuster heavyweight mixed martial arts bouts — a main event showdown between Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli of Italy and Abdulbasir “Dagestan Machine” Vagabov of Russia, and the promotional debut of Senegalese sensation Oumar “Reug Reug” Kane, who takes on Hong Kong’s Alain “The Panther” Ngalani.

ONE: UNBREAKABLE III is headlined by former two-sport ONE World Champion and current #5-ranked atomweight contender Stamp Fairtex of Thailand, who continues her quest for a mixed martial arts World Title against promotional newcomer Alyona Rassohyna of Ukraine. In the co-main event, #2-ranked bantamweight Shoko Sato of Japan takes on Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade of Brazil.

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Thai players star in Bangkok as world badminton returns to action after 10 months

Jan 13. 2021

By THE NATION

Thai players enjoyed first-round wins on Tuesday, as the world’s top badminton players returned from a 10-month Covid-19 layoff at the US$1-million Yonex Thailand Open.

Mixed duo Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai recovered from a game down to beat Malaysian rivals, while Busanan Ongbamrungphan cruised to victory in the women’s singles.

The action kicked off a three-week badminton extravaganza at the Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani, where the Thailand Open World Tour Super 1000 from January 12-17 is followed by the $1-million Toyota Thailand Open World Tour Super 1000 (January 19-24) and the $1.5-million HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2020 from January 27-31.

In Tuesday’s action-packed mixed doubles, top seeds Dechpol/Sapsiree tamed upstarts Hoo Pang Ron/Cheah Yee See of Malaysia in three hard-fought games, winning 18-21 21-16 21-15. The Thai world No 3 pairing grabbed a silver medal at the All-England in mid-March last year, the last tournament before world badminton shut down due to the pandemic.

In the women’s singles, world No 12 Busanan outclassed No 49 Sabrina Jaquet of Switzerland 2-0 (21-16, 21-17). Two other Thai women failed at the first hurdle, however, with world No 28 Phittayaporn Chaiwan losing 21-19, 21-14 to No 17 Kim Ga Eun of South Korea, and Benyapa Aimsaard ousted 21-18, 26-24 by Taiwanese top-seed Tai Tzu Ying.

In the men’s doubles, world No 128 Nipitphon Phuangphuapet/Tanupat Viriyangkura lost to 5th seeds and world No 6 Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto (Indonesia) 17-21, 21-16, 22-20. The highly anticipated clash between world No 43 Bodin Isara/Maneepong Jongjit and England’s world No 22 Marcus Ellis/Chris Langridge was due later the same day.

In the women’s doubles, world 34 Chayanit Chaladchalam/Phataimas Muenwong played a thriller against world No 31 Linda Efler/Isabel Herttrich before pulling off a convincing 21-14 25-23 win over the Germans.

In the men’s singles, world No 15 Kantaphon Wangcharoen stunned India’s world No 13 B Sai Praneeth 21-16 21-10, while world No 29 Kunlavut Vitidsarn fought furiously to beat No 80 Luis Enrique Penalver of Spain 21-12, 19-21, 21-16.

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Ex-world No.1 Nehwal tests positive for Covid-19 hours before Thailand Open match

Jan 12. 2021

Senal Nehwal during a test.

By THE NATION

India’s former world No 1 Saina Nehwal had to withdraw from the US$1-million Thailand Open after she tested positive for Covid-19.

Busanan Ongbamrungphan 

The 2012 Thailand Open champion and another Indian player, HS Prannoy, were confirmed to be infected.

The result of Nehwal’s third test on Monday was positive and was revealed just hours before her first-round match against Kisona Selvaduray of Malaysia. The latter gets a walkover into the next round.

The tournament is the first of a three-tournament Asian leg in Thailand including the BWF World Tour finals, all being held at Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi province on the outskirts of Bangkok.

The 30-year-old Nehwal, currently world No. 20, and Prannnoy have to leave the tournament to be hospitalised.

The BWF also confirmed that four players — two Indians, a German and an Egyptian had tested positive.

Nehwal, who won the 2012 Olympic bronze medal in London, became the latest high-profile player to withdraw from the event.

Earlier world No 1 Kento Momota of Japan and the No 1 men’s doubles pair of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo cancelled their trip to Thailand due to the same reason.

Kunlavut Vitidsarn 

Meanwhile in the first round actions, Thai No 2 Busanan Ongbamrungphan moved past Swiss Sabrina Jaquet 21-6 21-17 in the women’ singles while three-time world junior No 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn rebounded from a second set loss to beat Luis Enrique Penalver of Spain 21-12 19-21 21-16.

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China’s Zhang looks for Hawaiian high as he gets 2021 underway

Jan 12. 2021

China’s Xinjun Zhang launches his 2021 PGA TOUR campaign at the Sony Open in Hawaii starting on Thursday with every intention of getting straighter with his driver and sharper with his short game.

Zhang, 33, enjoyed a small slice of history by becoming the first Chinese mainland golfer to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs last season where he eventually finished 78^th in the final points list but the start to his 2020-21 campaign in the fall has been surprisingly shaky.

Following consecutive top-15 performances at the Safeway Open and Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, Zhang’s game hit a road bump with four straight missed cuts before finishing T63 at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico last month.

“Last year, I had ups and downs. I played well in a few events but there were also some bad ones. I think this is golf and it is impossible to maintain a good competitive state all the time. I tried my best to work on my game during the off-season and I hope it will show when I resume playing this week,” said Zhang.

A return to Waialae Country Club in Honolulu will not be treated lightly as the determined Chinese golfer is keen to improve on his tied 25^th finish at the Sony Open recorded in 2018. He missed the cut last year.

“I know I need to improve on many areas of my game, including my tee shots as the fairway hit rate is not very high,” said Zhang, who ranks 122^nd in Strokes Gained: Driving and 166^th in Strokes Gained: Around the Greens this season.

“There are no short cuts on the PGA TOUR and there is still some gap between me and the overall field. The PGA TOUR is difficult and you need to tee off accurately. You also need a good short game which I’m working on improving all these aspects.”

He feels his third full season on the world’s leading golf circuit will continue to be a learning curve as he seeks to become the first mainland Chinese golfer to win on TOUR. From 63 career starts to date, he has posted four top-10s, with a tie for fourth place at the 2019 Houston Open being his best result.

“Playing on TOUR, I think I still need to have a stronger mentality. It was not particularly good at the beginning …  I would get anxious while competing. I still have to adjust my mentality this year to become better,” said Zhang, who holds two wins on the Korn Ferry Tour.

As with any athlete, he has set himself some straightforward New Year goals which is to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs again which will also mean retaining full playing rights for next season.

“Of course, I hope I can guarantee my card first and then aim for a few more top 10s,” he said.

Zhang, who is now based in Houston, grew up in a farming village in Shaanxi Province and worked as a security guard at a golf course during his teens which eventually led to his introduction to the game. With perseverance and dedication, he rose through the ranks via the PGA TOUR Series China and Korn Ferry Tour and is the lone Chinese mainland golfer competing on the PGA TOUR this season.

As he continues to dream of becoming a winner on TOUR, Zhang firmly believes hard work will get him to the top, hence his decision to keep to a strict regime during the winter break. “I kept to my training plan. I would get up at 7am to stretch, and then I would either go for a run or do aerobic exercises before going to the golf course. I’d be back to the course at 3pm and will spend time for my physical fitness as well. This was my plan for nearly five weeks and it was good,” he said.