March 31, 2017

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SHAH ALAM: Singapore SEA Games champion Chong Wei Feng has two good reasons to try and revive his fortunes as an independent shuttler this year.

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Firstly, the 29-year-old is assured of being sponsored for 10-12 international tournaments this year after sports brand Protech extended their support for him for the second straight year.

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Secondly, he intends to make his wife of less than a month, Chan Swet Nee, proud by showing that he still has it in him to excel in the game. The couple tied the knot on March 19.

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Buoyed by the strong support, world No. 42 Wei Feng is looking at reaching at least the quarter-finals of the Malaysian Open, which will be held in Kuching, Sarawak, starting on Wednesday.

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“I’m grateful to Protech for extending its support for me.

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“This is my second year as an independent player. I want to raise the level of my game,” said Wei Feng, who quit the national team in January last year.

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“I just got married and I’m motivated to do well. Playing badminton is my rice bowl. I want to win good prize money, provide for my family and justify the faith of my sponsors.”

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His best result as an independent shuttler last year was a quarter-final appearance in the top-tier Hong Kong Open and finishing as runner-up in the second-tier Vietnam Open.

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Wei Feng, who has been playing in the international scene since 2004, was quick to point out that he’s not ready to hang up his racquet yet.

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“I’ve been training with a few groups of players at the Ko Badminton Academy in Klang. I’m still motivated as before,” said Wei Feng, who crashed out in the third round of the second-tier Malaysian Masters in Sibu in January.

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“I’m focused on doing well at the Malaysian Open. I’ve never gone beyond the quarter-finals of the home tournament. This time, I want to put up a better showing.”

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Wei Feng will start from the qualifying tournament of the Malaysian Open on Tuesday.

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He has been drawn to face South Korean Lee Dong-keun in the first round. If he makes it, he’s likely meet Japan’s Takuma Ueda for a place in the main draw.

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If he clears the qualifying rounds, his first-round opponent in the main draw will be Son Wan-ho of South Korea.

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Protech yesterday announced its sponsorship of Wei Feng and six other shuttlers. The others are Malaysians Teo Kok Siang and Mak Hee Chun as well as Hong Kong’s Lee Chun Hei, Chau Hoi Wah, Chen Tze Kit and Fan Ka Yan.

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Protech managing director Ronnie Chong was happy to see the ever-expanding Protech family.

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“We have international players under our wings too. Chun Hei-Hoi Wah are ranked 14th in the world. We hope all our ambassadors will produce good results this year.

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“We have additional incentives for players who win titles. It’s a delight to see these players carry the name of our brand when they play around the world,” said Ronnie, who added that the cost of sponsoring each player had hit six figures.

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The Star Online