Asian Games talking points: Medal target failure, nightmare schedule, a suspension & history

The Asian Games has just concluded and delivered noteworthy incidents both off and off court.

Stadium Astro highlights four talking points from the action that took place in Aichi-Nagoya in Japan over the last two weeks.

National team failed to deliver medal target

The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) had set a modest one silver, one bronze medal target and even that target failed to be achieved.

Had it not been for Pearly Tan-M.Thinaah’s bronze medal, the national contingent would have returned home empty handed which would have been both a disaster and an embarrassment.

There were a lot of ‘what if’ moments this time around surrounding the national contingent.

What if Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin performed better and not lost so tamely?

What if Tan-Thinaah had kept their composure to win their semi-finals match in straight games?

What if Aaron Chia had partnered his usual partner Soh Wooi Yik instead of Tee Kai Wun?

Ultimately, all these questions have gone unanswered and the national association will now have a lot of fixing to do.

Scheduling nightmare leave many frustrated

The match scheduling was an unprecedented nightmare and left many shuttlers tired, frustrated and ultimately saw their campaigns end on a bitter note.

India’s P.V.Sindhu was forced to play three matches in the span of 18 hours, which saw her reach her hotel at 3am and before leaving again for her quarter-finals match at 8.30am.

World number three Jonatan Christie also moaned the fact his match only started at 1am local time, and questioned why he could not play at an available court in the arena.

The scheduling also affected Malaysian pairs Chen Tang Jie-Cheng Su Yin and Goh Soon Huat who had to navigate through two matches in a day and as a result lost early in the second round.

Pitchamon Opaniputh suspended

Thailand’s rising women’s singles star Pitchamon received a massive setback after she tested positive for a banned substance just before the multi-sports event began.

As a result, the 19-year-old was suspended from competing after a second anti-doping test also returned positive for the banned substance Furosemide.

It left the world number 18 devastated and having to go through an appeal process to overturn her suspension.

Kunlavut Vitidsarn makes history

While Pitchamon missed out, her national team-mate Kunlavut ensured Thailand made the news for all the right reason after he won the men’s singles gold medal.

On the same day he became world number one again, the Thai ace beat Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew to become Thailand’s first men’s singles gold medalist at the Asian Games.

His straight game victory over Loh stamped his domination in this event, while also becoming the pride of the Southeast Asian region.

The last shuttler to win gold before him was Indonesia’s Christie.