Malaysia’s hopes of at least retaining the bronze medal in the Asian Games badminton men’s team event look hopeless after being drawn against 3/4 seeds Japan in the first round.
Even if Malaysia upset the Japanese it is another uphill task in the quarter-finals – where they have to play winners of the Korea-Thailand first round tie. Korea is the defending champion.
Also drawn in the bottom half is the second seed Indonesia and the hosts have drawn a first-round bye and will likely face India in the quarter-final. India plays the Maldives in the first round.
Favorites and top seeds China is in the top half of the draw and is the quarter-finals without lifting the racquet after a first-round bye. In the quarter-finals, the Chinese will play the winners of the Hong Kong China-Mongolia first round match.
Chinese Taipei, bronze medallist at the last edition of the Asiad, have a first-round bye and will face the winners of the Nepal-Pakistan in the quarter-finals.
In the women’s team event, top seeds Japan and India marched into the quarter-finals after getting a bye in the first round. Second seeds China also drew a bye in the first round.
For the record, Malaysia not competing in the women’s team event but will play in the individual events. RIZAL ABDULLAH
