KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 — Despite their relatively low ranking, young pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun are determined to help Malaysia retain the men’s doubles badminton gold at the Hanoi SEA Games in Vietnam from May 12 to May 23.
Aaron Chia – Soh Wooi Yik ended Malaysia’s 16-year title drought in the event when they snatched gold at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines, emulating the feat of Choong Tan Fook – Lee Wan Wah, who won in the 2003 edition in Vietnam.
However, Aaron-Wooi Yik, the Tokyo Olympics 2020 bronze medallists, will not be defending their title in Hanoi as they will be playing in the Thomas Cup in Bangkok, Thailand from May 8 to May 15.
In their absence, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) have decided to bank on world number 44 Wei Chong-Kai Wun, both aged 22, to deliver the goods.
Kai Wun said he was excited at making his debut in the biennial games and was making thorough preparations for the competition, including honing his techniques and building physical endurance.
“With just three weeks to go, we hope to be fully prepared for the SEA Games, especially in terms of my combination with Wei Chong and my own condition. Our target in the men’s doubles is gold.
“For the group event, we hope to go all the way until gold or silver. However, Indonesia and Thailand are expected to be strong contenders,” he said when met recently.
Kai Wun said world number 21 Pramudya Kusumawardana-Yeremia Erich and number 24 Leo Rolly Carnando-Daniel Marthin, both from Indonesia, would be their main hurdles to the gold medal.
Wei Chong also expects a tough time in their search for gold but vowed to give a scintillating display to justify the faith of coaches and fans.
He said he could tap into the experience of his seniors as the SEA Games squad were undergoing centralised training together with the Thomas and Uber Cup teams at Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM).
“The seniors will share their experience and give tips on our preparation for the SEA Games. We can learn a lot from them to ensure we are fully prepared for the challenge,” he added.
The Spain International Challenge 2021 champion admitted he was somewhat disappointed that coach Flandy Limpele had chosen not to renew his contract with BAM last month, but said this should not disrupt his journey with the national team.
— Bernama
