KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20 — South Korean badminton ace, Lee Yong Dae believes Malaysia will parade their best players for the men’s doubles event at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in Brazil, next year.   

Yong Dae, part of the current men’s doubles world number one, noted that the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) should have their own plans to choose the best pairs to compete in international competitions, this year.

“Malaysian pairs always possess skills with very high performance level... I’m sure they’ll find the better ones (for Rio) and I’m personally hoping that we can play with good rivals from Malaysia,” he told reporters at the Muar City Badminton Club press conference, here today.

The Muar City BC has selected Yong Dae and Lee Hyun Ill, who is South Korea’s men’s singles player, as mentors for the club’s players in the ongoing Kopiko Purple League competition.

Yong Dae, who partners Yoo Yeon Seong, said the duo were eyeing the world championship title and winning at least five BWF Super Series events this year.  

Commenting on Muar City BC, Yong Dae, who is currently on a two-month break, said he was pleased with the performance of the team which currently top the Kopiko Purple League with 18 points after seven rounds.  

Speaking as a mentor, he said the team would need to further strengthen the quality of their game to shine until the final stages of the league in February.

His guidance will prove valuable to club’s men’s doubles players comprising Teo Kok Siang, Mak Hee Chun, Tan Bin Shen, Chow Pak Chuu, Tan Wee Kiong, Au Kok Leong, Akmal Rumsani and Fairuz Fauzi.

Yong Dae will also assist Scotland’s Robert Blair as well as Chan Peng Soon, Vivian Hoon, Chow Mei Kuan, Arif Latif, Lim Pei Yee and Chin Kah Mun in the mixed doubles competition.

On his part, Hyun Ill, who recently won the Malaysia Grand Prix Gold in Sarawak and Thailand International Challenge, will be assisting Malaysia’s Tan Chun Seang, Ronald Susilo of Singapore and Fikri Hadmadi of Indonesia in the singles competition.     

The next round of the Kopiko Purple League which offers RM2 million as prize money, runs from tomorrow until January 25 at the Sports Arena in Petaling Jaya. — Bernama