SAR swipe aside Iran only to face Indonesia

Hong Kong's men's badminton team opened their campaign in emphatic style yesterday, but now they face a daunting match against heavyweights Indonesia if they are to progress further in the competition at Thammasat University today.

Coach Chan Chi-choi was a happy man after seeing the SAR's young side crush Iran 5-0 in their first-round match to advance to today's quarter-finals.

'They played very well. It is good for young players to get experience of winning in big tournaments like this,' Chan said. 'Indonesia are one of the strongest teams here so it will be good to compare ourselves with them in the next round.

Tam Kai-chuen started Hong Kong's rout of the Iranians, defeating Afshin Bozorgzadeh with ease in the opening singles in straight games.

Tam's win was mirrored by his teammates, who went on to claim the remaining singles and doubles rubbers without dropping a game.

'It was good to get a win. It will give them confidence against Indonesia,' Chan said.

Hong Kong's women's table-tennis team also got off to a winning start, registering a 3-0 win against Thailand. Veteran Chan Tan-lui led the way by beating Rattanaprayoon in straight sets, while Wong Ching and Song Ah-sim followed suit in their singles games to seal a convincing performance.

The women's team look a good bet to qualify from their pool with China after beating Japan 3-1 in their second match of the day. The SAR can now book a place in the semi-finals by defeating Vietnam today. They face China in their final group match tomorrow. But Hong Kong's men had a disappointing opener with a talented North Korean team, against whom they lost 3-1.