BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

JASPAR Yu Woon Chai has been handed a tough draw at tomorrow’s Celcom Axiata Malaysia International Challenge.

The 27-year-old will face fifth seed World No 85 Pannawit Thongnuam of Thailand in the opening round at the Likas Sports Complex.

Yu, who became the first Bruneian shuttler to compete at the Olympics during this year’s edition in Rio de Janeiro, is hoping to have a good outing.

“I think a little rise in world ranking puts me in quite a comfortable position when it comes to International Challenge and Grand Prix events,” said Yu.

“It’s nice to start off from the main draw. Still, I hope to do better each and every time I’m out there.

“I had very tough draws in most tournaments throughout this year and there was nothing I can do about it, so I’ve come to adapt to it. I have to play well myself first, then we’ll see,” he added.

Yu trains daily with gym work in the mornings for fitness and conditioning followed by court sessions in the afternoon.

He will also be looking to take his experience gained from last month’s Brunei-Japan badminton exchange programme into the Nov 8-13 competition.

“The recent Japanese badminton exchange was very nice for everyone, including myself,” said Yu. “Our young players and public badminton enthusiasts haven’t seen world class badminton live on home soil for a very long time. We have to learn fast and have some catching up to do.”

The Brunei Times