By DAVID ISAACSON
Jacob Maliekal was a decent cricketer growing up, but he opted to take the more difficult, less travelled path that led to badminton glory.
The former Selborne College pupil, who was a few years above sprint star Anaso Jobodwana, left East London to seek his fortune on the badminton courts of Asia.
“I was more into cricket and tennis,” Maliekal told the Daily Dispatch from his training base in Shenzhen, China, on the border of Hong Kong, before heading to Rio for the Olympics.
“I played a bit of hockey, but cricket was the main one.
“I was in provincial teams throughout my school days.”
The son of Indian immigrants, he used to play badminton at the Lotus club his father had started in East London.
In Grades 10 and 11 his badminton improved to the point that it had overtaken cricket, and in matric he made the national side.
“I left cricket … it was a tough choice,” he recalled.
Maliekal wanted to improve his badminton, but he knew he couldn’t do that at home.
“We don’t have that many coaches, training partners, so I left for Malaysia.
“I was there for five years, from 2010 to 2015. I was training there, I did a degree in international business and management as well at Monash University.
“In Asia badminton is very popular, it’s like our rugby and cricket.
“There’s a lot of money that gets pumped into it, there’s sponsors, there’s a market over here,” added Maliekal, who worked hard to get good enough to be noticed.
“I had to prove myself. My dad had to sponsor me for everything.
“For the first five years most of the stuff he had to cover for me.”
He now plays for the Kawasaki club in China.
“We don’t play in a league. We are one group that trains together, we just call it a club. We train, play exhibition matches for promotion purposes.”
Moving to China was a “big jump culturally”. “But the guys here, the coaches and that, they look after us really well.”
Maliekal, the 2011 and 2015 Africa Games champion, is hoping to spring a few surprises when he competes in Rio next Friday.
He’s done it before, like at the Orleans French international challenge this year, where he beat the number four seed who was ranked 40th in the world as well as the top Polish player.
“My long-term goal is to get a top-20 ranking.”
Ex-Selborne pupil in quest for glory
Jacob Maliekal was a decent cricketer growing up, but he opted to take the more difficult, less travelled path that led to badminton glory.
The former Selborne College pupil, who was a few years above sprint star Anaso Jobodwana, left East London to seek his fortune on the badminton courts of Asia.
“I was more into cricket and tennis,” Maliekal told the Daily Dispatch from his training base in Shenzhen, China, on the border of Hong Kong, before heading to Rio for the Olympics.
“I played a bit of hockey, but cricket was the main one.
“I was in provincial teams throughout my school days.”
The son of Indian immigrants, he used to play badminton at the Lotus club his father had started in East London.
In Grades 10 and 11 his badminton improved to the point that it had overtaken cricket, and in matric he made the national side.
“I left cricket … it was a tough choice,” he recalled.
Maliekal wanted to improve his badminton, but he knew he couldn’t do that at home.
“We don’t have that many coaches, training partners, so I left for Malaysia.
“I was there for five years, from 2010 to 2015. I was training there, I did a degree in international business and management as well at Monash University.
“In Asia badminton is very popular, it’s like our rugby and cricket.
“There’s a lot of money that gets pumped into it, there’s sponsors, there’s a market over here,” added Maliekal, who worked hard to get good enough to be noticed.
“I had to prove myself. My dad had to sponsor me for everything.
“For the first five years most of the stuff he had to cover for me.”
He now plays for the Kawasaki club in China.
“We don’t play in a league. We are one group that trains together, we just call it a club. We train, play exhibition matches for promotion purposes.”
Moving to China was a “big jump culturally”. “But the guys here, the coaches and that, they look after us really well.”
Maliekal, the 2011 and 2015 Africa Games champion, is hoping to spring a few surprises when he competes in Rio next Friday.
He’s done it before, like at the Orleans French international challenge this year, where he beat the number four seed who was ranked 40th in the world as well as the top Polish player.
“My long-term goal is to get a top-20 ranking.”
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