National shuttler to improve game with arrival of Dutch player

PETALING JAYA: National number one women's singles player Wong Mew Choo is expected to improve her game with the arrival of Holland's Yao Jie ahead of the World Championships to be held in Kuala Lumpur next month.

Yao Jie formerly represented the Chinese national team but now plays for Holland and is their top ranked women's singles player.

Yao Jie, ranked eighth in the world, got down to training at Gymnasium 2 of the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday and will remain here until the world meet to be held at nearby Putra Stadium from Aug 13-19.

The lanky shuttler is looking forward to the opportunity to spar with Mew Choo, who is still recovering from a recent ankle injury.

Yao Jie is the second former Chinese-born shuttler to spar here with Mew Choo.

Former top Chinese singles player Zhou Mi was in Malaysia last year in the run-up to the world meet and she is now playing for Hong Kong.

Mew Choo, ranked 11th in the world, will benefit in her preparations for the world meet with a quality sparring partner in Yao Jie.

At her peak, Yao Jie had beaten China’s current top three players Zhang Ning, Xie Xingfang and Zhu Lin.