Ketua jurulatih skuad badminton remaja negara, Kwan Yoke Meng, mengambil risiko dengan menyenaraikan pemain muda, Mohammad Fazriq Razif, untuk dibawa ke Kejohanan Asia di Suzhou, China minggu depan biarpun terdapat jurang umur yang luas.
Kejohanan itu menampilkan barisan pemain remaja terbaik Asia di bawah usia 19 tahun tatkala Fazriq yang hadir dengan reputasi juara remaja sirkit GP kebangsaan kategori B-16 baru-baru ini, baru berusia 15 tahun.
Namun, Yoke Meng berpandangan saingan di China adalah pendedahan terbaik dalam usaha mematangkan pemain itu untuk dibentuk menjadi juara remaja dunia dua tahun lagi.
"Bukan kami mahu hantar untuk menang tetapi ini untuk pendedahan. Harap dia boleh dapat banyak pengalaman untuk cabaran seterusnya. Kami akan hantar lebih banyak penyertaan bagi usia bawah 19 tahun buat Fazriq selepas ini," katanya.
Malaysia bakal bertandang ke China kali ini tanpa sebarang pemain di ranking 10 terbaik dunia dan berdepan misi sukar dalam acara berpasukan kerana diletakkan bersama Indonesia dan Jepun.
"Persiapan saya lebih kepada fizikal kerana pemain yang lebih berusia berbanding saya mempunyai kekuatan berbeza. Saya juga cenderung ke arah taktikal," ujar Fazriq pula.
Penulis Jemputan
Fri Jul 12 2019
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