Myanmar may not be a badminton powerhouse but Thet Htar Thuzar made heads turn at the recent Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Jakarta – reaching the women’s singles third round before falling to China’s Wang Zhiyi.
Htar Thuzar stunned Thailand’s sixth seed Chananchida Jucharoen 2-19, 12-21, 21-15 in the first round and in the second round defeated Nepal’s Rasila Maharja before she came unstuck against Zhiyi who won 21-7, 21-9.
It was an “encouraging performance” from Htar Thuzar who is “on track” in her badminton career.
Together with Aung Myo Htoo in the men’s singles, the two 18-year-olds, carry Myanmar’s hopes to achieve the country’s mission against the giants in the shuttle sports at the 29th Kuala Lumpur Sea Games to be held from Aug 19-30.
Myanmar will be hosting Badminton Asia’s Under-17 and Under-15 Junior Championships in Yangon from Oct 4-8. The Asian meet will be played at the National Indoor Stadium in Yangon.
Nyan Lwin, the secretary-general of the Myanmar Badminton Federation, believes that it will only be a “matter of time” before Myanmar gets a podium finish in the Sea Games.
The last time Myanmar achieved that status was at the 1995 Sea Games in Chiangmai when the country won the bronze medal in the men’s team event. Myanmar also won a bronze in the men’s team in the 1981 Sea Games in Manila.
“It is not that we don’t have badminton talent in the country. There is a big number of talented badminton players in Myanmar. However, lack of international exposure and funds is our main draw back,” said Nyan Lwin, adding that the luck of the draw also plays a role in the chase for a medal.
In the same breath, Nyan Lwin, was quick to admit that Myanmar have a “mountain to climb” in both the men’s and women’s team events in the KL2017 Games.
The Myanmar men’s team is drawn in the bottom half and meet Singapore (3/4 seeds) in the quarter-finals. The winners will take on the winners of Malaysia (No 2 seeds)-Laos tie in the semi-finals.
In the women’s team event Myanmar take on Malaysia in the quarter-finals. The winners will face the winners of the second seeds Indonesia and Laos in the semi-finals.
“It is very tough for my country in the team events but we are keeping our fingers crossed that the luck of draw will favour us in the individual events,” said Nyan Lwin.
According to Nyaw Lwin, a businessman geologist, badminton is “shaping up well” in Myanmar. Toegther with Robin Thin, a former secretary of MBF, who now heads the federation’s Umpires Committee – the duo are the driving force behind Myanmar’s determination to move up the ranks in the sport in this region. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
