KUALA LUMPUR: “I even had to battle through water dripping from above.”
That was how national men’s doubles player Wan Arif Wan Junaidi summed up his gritty performance after finally clinching his first BWF World Tour title with partner Yap Roy King at the 2025 Macau Open yesterday.
The fourth-seeded Malaysians stunned Indonesia’s top seeds Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani 22-20, 21-18 in the Super 300 final held at the Macao East Asian Games Dome.
Despite being distracted by water dripping from the roof, the 23-year-old Wan Arif managed to overcome the unusual challenge to seal a memorable day for both himself and Roy King.
“During the final, water was dripping even when I served, during rallies and while smashing — it was falling on my head. But I told myself, if I’m affected, so too are my opponents. So I just tried to focus point by point,” he said in an audio message shared by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) today.
The fifth meeting between the two pairs had to be stopped frequently due to the dripping water from the roof, which made the court surface slippery and dangerous.
Wan Arif was also pleased to avenge their previous defeat to Sabar and Moh Reza in the final of the 2024 Madrid Spain Masters, where they lost 18-21, 21-17, 19-21.
He added that he and Roy King have adapted better to the gameplay and tactical approach introduced by national men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi, six months after the high-profile Indonesian coach began his stint with Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Herry, when contacted by Bernama, challenged Wan Arif-Roy King to maintain consistency in upcoming tournaments.
He also expressed confidence that the duo’s breakthrough title could boost their confidence heading into the 2025 World Championships, scheduled to be held in Paris from Aug 25–31.
In a separate development, national men’s singles shuttler Justin Hoh said his loss to Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan at 15-21, 5-21 in the same tournament’s final served as a valuable lesson in patience and game strategy improvement.
Despite Justin falling short of clinching his first World Tour title, national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen remained pleased with the 21-year-old’s maturity and urged him to bounce back stronger in the future.- BERNAMA
