GUANGZHOU, South China - Maldives' Mohamed Sharim and Shaheed Zaki Hussain Zayan's first appearance in the Asian Games here lasted for just 12 minutes but they were satisfied with their own performance.
Sharim and Zayan succumbed to Indonesian pair Mohammad Ahsan and Alvent Yulianto Chandra 21-5, 21-8 in the badminton men's doubles round of 32 on Tuesday morning.
"I think I played very well today. The match was hard and our opponents were tough. Besides, I am not used to the stadium. It is too big," said Sharim, 23.
His teammate Zayan agreed.
"It is too big. Our stadium back home is about one quarter the size of this one," Zayan said.
The one they normally play in is the Male Indoor Stadium - a large hangar-type structure that, on one side, serves as offices for the various sports associations and, on the other side, is partitioned to allow a basketball court and four badminton courts.
Sharim and Zayan formed a makeshift pair for these Asian Games where their three-athlete badminton team hardly have any chance to score good results.
"We come here to learn, to collect some experience," said Zayan,
Zayan is the runner-up in the national championship while the bronze went to Sharim, who fell in love with the sport after watching Chinese ace Lin Dan overcoming Malaysian sensation Lee Chongwei for the Beijing Olympics gold.
"So I started to practice badminton in 2009," said policeman Sharim. He then went through the national qualification to be selected into the national team.
"I work and train five or six days a week. It is tiring but I like it," said Sharim.
Sharim's Asian Games journey has not ended as he is scheduled to meet Chan Yan Kit from Hong Kong, China in the men's singles on Wednesday.
As his teammate Ajfaan Rasheed, the national champion, received a walkover from Dinuka Karunaratna from Sri Lanka in the men's singles, the Maldivian team is sure to enjoy a longer stay in Guangzhou.
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