Kuala Lumpur: Daren Liew who was once ranked World No. 10 and was once regarded as the best player to lead the Malaysian team after Lee Chong Wei retires, played his last match under the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) set-up on Wednesday when he lost to Thailand’s veteran player Boonsak Ponsana in the first round of the Malaysia Masters 10-21, 15-21 in 34 minutes.
The 28-year-old World No. 102 shuttler Liew tendered his resignation to BAM about two weeks ago, looked dejected following his loss on Wednesday.
“I arrived in Penang on Monday, I was not able to adjust to the court condition, and I am disappointed,” said Liew.
Liew has decided to play as a professional player after the Malaysia Masters, is currently looking for sponsorships to enable him to compete at international tournaments and to stay fit throughout the entire season.
“I am hoping to rejuvenate my career after I switched to professional,” added Daren.
Another BAM player that suffered first-round exit in the Malaysia Masters was Chong Wei Feng, he lost to No. 2 seed Kidambi Srikanth 17-21, 11-21 in 35 minutes.
