Pasangan beregu lelaki, Teo Ee Yi dan Ong Yew Sin, terpaksa menanti selama tiga tahun untuk kembali menjulang status juara kebangsaan susulan kejayaan dalam Kejohanan Badminton Kebangsaan 2019 di Arena Badminton Perak hari ini.
Sebelum ini, mereka kerap dikritik ekoran masalah prestasi sehingga dipisahkan seketika dan menyaksikan Yew Sin pernah menjadi juara bersama Tan Wee Kiong pada 2017.
Kini, gandingan Ee Yi-Yew Sin kembali bersama dan mereka bukan hadir sekadar mempamer sentuhan terbaik dalam gelanggang, namun lebih manis apabila menamatkan badi kemenangan sejak 2016 ke atas Goh V Shem dan Wee Kiong, sekali gus menyingkirkan juara bertahan itu di peringkat separuh akhir.
"Kebanyakan perancangan berjalan lancar. Mungkin ada beberapa bahagian yang tersalah membuat pukulan tetapi kami bincang untuk menyelesaikannya," kata Ee Yi.
Dalam saingan beregu wanita, Anna Cheong dan Lim Siew Chien, meraih kejuaraan pertama sejak baru digandingkan awal tahun ini setelah menumbangkan pemain bukan pilihan, Cheah Yee See dan Teoh Mei Xing.
Siew Chien mengakui tuah memihak mereka memandangkan beregu wanita kini dalam penstrukturan setelah penyandang juara, Soong Fie Choo-Goh Yea Ching, mengundurkan diri daripada kem kebangsaan sementara pencabar hebat, Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yuen, ketika ini berentap dalam Kejohanan Masters Sepanyol.
"Ia semestinya menambah keyakinan. Ia sangat membantu kami," ujar Siew Chien.
Penulis Jemputan
Sat Feb 23 2019
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