Malaysia aims for 9 golds in Guangzhou Asiad

GUANGZHOU - Malaysia has geared up for the 16th Guangzhou Asian Games, determined to bag nine gold medals, with world No 1 shuttler Lee Chong Wei leading the charge.

The country's high hopes have been laid on Lee and squash icon Nicol David.

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The most anticipated match is no other than the face-off between Lee  and his archrival, China's Lin Dan.

Lee beat Lin in the Japan Open and won the New Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Both tournaments have boost his confidence to fight in the coming games which he himself is very excited about.

"The biggest threat is still China, it's important for me to be prepared," said the 29-year-old, currently recovering from an ankle injury he sustained from the Commonwealth Games.

Despite the setbacks, he is confident to defeat China in the Asian Games.

"The Asian Games is important to me. I just recovered from an injury, so I'm facing less pressure because I have been doing my best."

Men's doubles players Khoo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong and women's singles shuttler Wong Mew Choo are also among the hopefuls against the might of China on home turf.

Malaysia's wushu squad team is also determined to defend the single gold they won at the Doha Asian Games four years ago.

The defending gold medalist Chai Foon Ying is undergoing intensive training in Beijing with 7 others competing candidates before heading to Guangzhou.

Acknowledging that China can hardly be defeated in the wushu sports, the team is targeting categories that China has opted out.

Malaysian bowlers also stand a high chance of making to the podium.

At the previous Asian Games, they scored three golds and three silvers.

Team captain Shalin Zulkifli, who made her Asian Games debut in 1994, has high expectations out of Guangzhou.

"We have been ready for a while because we have started the standardised training for more than a year. This is my fifth Asian Games, I'm hoping to make it the most memorable Asian Games. Our target is to gain team gold, for both men and women, we will be defending champions going into the game."

Shabery Cheek, Malaysia's Minister of Sports and Youth Development, said the athletes are ready.

"After the commonwealth games, our athletes seemed to be more prepared. They are more confident. They performed pretty well competing with other sporting nations like England, India and Australia. Some of the events seem to [put us at a better position] in Asian Games for us than the Commonwealth games. "

The country won 12 Gold medals at the Commonwealth Games with cycling and diving making their debut at the podium.