Malaysia’s independent player Daren Liew is financially finding it hard to afford to travel and participate in tournaments.
Daren told The Star, “Ideally, I would like to give both the German and Swiss Opens a shot but I really don’t have the money
“I came to Spain on my own and spent a fortune.”
Daren Liew reached the semi-final of the Barcelona Spain Masters last week. He lost out to the eventual champion Viktor Axelsen 10-21, 19-21.
Daren gets only $2465 US dollars for reaching the semi-finals (before tax deduction).
The 32-year-old has also not signed up for the India Open next month. He said that the official hotel of the tournament would be too costly for him. He added that food and logistics would become a problem for him if he stayed elsewhere.
“It’s also unfortunate that I could not make the cut for the Malaysian Open after dropping out of the world’s top 32. I have to accept that my Olympic dream is over.”
Daren will next participate in the Singapore Open in April.
Daren Liew resigned from the national team and became an independent player in 2016.
Unlike national team players, independent players do not get the benefits of government funding. It is also tough for independent players to get good sponsors in a sport as small as badminton.