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Malkov enjoying his good form at the Sunrise Indian Open (Photo: Badminton Photo)
Vladimir Malkov: I still feel I can reach the top level
Date: 5/31/2018 9:18 PM
Published by : Alan Raftery
Badminton is not the first sport that springs to mind when you think of Russia. Despite this, Vladimir Malkov is flying the Badminton flag in this great sporting nation. Currently ranked 50th in the world and 11th in Europe, we gain an insight into how he is able to reach these heights. And how he is looking for more.

Badminton is a growing sport in Russia, slowly making gains on the nation’s most popular sports such Football, Wrestling and Volleyball. All of which have idols who compete at the highest level. A big boost for Badminton in Russia were successes in doubles, with Vladimir Ivanov and Ivan Sozonov winning the Men’s Doubles title at the 2016 All England Open Super Series. And of course, the surprise Women’s Doubles bronze medal won by Valeria Sorokina and Nina Vislova at the 2012 London Olympics. 

Vladimir Malkov is working hard to reach similar success for Russian Men’s Singles. And in order to be the best, you must play with the best. So, it is no surprise to learn that whilst mostly practising at home in Russia this year, next week he will be moving to China to train and prepare for the new season and Olympic qualification. As he says

-I’m planning to use my Chinese base for my gameplay preparation. For me it is very helpful for matches, especially when sparring against Asian players. My club, Kawasaki BC, is a good opportunity for high level practice and I receive big support from Kawasaki in many different aspects including new drills, mental preparation and good equipment. 

I feel so good
It is very clear that Malkov is very happy when he has the opportunity to train in China. And preparing for the season has a clear positive effect on results come the beginning of the season. An example of this can be seen in the Sunrise Indian Open at the start of 2018, where he defeated Wei Nan (Hong Kong) 21-19, 25-23 and then lost in a tight 3 game match against Wang Tzu Wei (Chinese Taipei), who is currently ranked 15th in the world. Malkov evaluated this by commenting

-I have positive moments at the beginning of season. And it is true that I feel so good at that time. But unfortunately, I was not so stable and couldn’t kept my shape during the whole season. 

Although this could prove to be a nice problem to have moving forward. As Malkov adds

-I still feel I can reach the top level but need to work hard and be more patient during matches.
 
I’m focusing for top 20
As can be the case for nations without a large pool of high-level players to choose from. Malkov has been on occasion playing Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles in tournaments. When asked about this he said 

-I will now focus on the Men’s Singles category. At least until Olympic Games. It is difficult to play more than one category when you are playing at a high level. 

Once ranked 41st in the world, Malkov was asked about his immediate targets and goals following his training in China. He stated 

-Of course, I’m focusing for top 20 in the world. It’s my main goal. To achieve this, I will be targeting and participating in Super Series tournaments.

To close the interview, Malkov was asked about his journey to Tokyo 2020.

- I’ll be planning to qualify for Tokyo. But we are, with the coaches, focusing on results, not just participating. And we hope we can achieve all our aims that we are determined to reach. 

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