Zulfadli Zulkifli targets Kedah Open after winning the Asian Junior Badminton Championships 2011
After winning the Boy’s Singles title in last week’s Asian Junior Badminton Championships 2011, Malaysian shuttler, Zulfadli Zulkifli’s next target is to display a good performance at the Kedah Open 2011. Kedah Open will kick-off in Alor Setar, Malaysia,
from July 13.
Zulfadli, who has attained the honour of becoming the first Boy’s Singles shuttler in Malaysia who has won the Asian Junior title, is also the undisputed top seed of Malaysia in the junior’s category. The 18-year-old Zulfadli has been training hard under
the patronage of his father, Zulkifli Sidek, who is also his personal coach.
While talking about his feelings after winning at the Asian Junior Championships, Zulfadli said, “I’m very happy to have won because it was my last year as a junior and to create history for Malaysia makes it even sweeter. However I plan to stay focused
and not get carried away because this is only the start.”
The Malaysian cordially appreciated his sponsors including KLRC and Ashaway for being supportive to him. He also thanked the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and National Sports Council for sending him to the Asian Junior Championships. Now, Zulfadli
will focus on the upcoming Kedah Open, which is an important event for him.
Zulfadli said, “Next on my agenda will be the Kedah Open but I do not have a specific target because I am quite tired after the hectic schedule. But I will be giving it my best nonetheless.”
In the Men’s Singles opening round of the Kedah Open, Zulfadli will play against Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin, who is one of the most talented shuttlers of Malaysia. If he manages to win the opening round, then he will be playing against the most experienced
shuttler, Hafiz Muhammad Hashim in the following round of the event.
If Zulfadli passes the hurdle of the second round, he is expected to meet Mohd Arif Abdul Latif in the Men’s Singles quarter-finals. Arif is one of the emerging shuttlers in Malaysia, who is a future hope for BAM in the category of Men’s Singles. Now, Zulfadli
has to prove his skills against national shuttlers, who are quite experienced in the game.
Tags: