KUALA LUMPUR: With the doors to the Paris Olympics 2024 shut to them, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun are now left with chasing other targets to soothe their disappointment, said national doubles coach Tan Bin Shen.
He said the two pairs from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) should step up and start targeting Super 500 and Super 750 titles.
“The (Olympics) chances of Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin and Wei Chong-Kai Wun are gone but there is the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China beginning Tuesday (April 9). Although already out of contention for an Olympics ticket, they should hit many other targets rather than losing in the first round.
“I see their desire to win as they have tried their best. But they need to tighten their game with a winning mentality. This will keep them going even after suffering defeats,” he told reporters recently.
Bin Shen said they should also know how to strategise and not give up easily when trailing in a match, as ultimately fighting spirit might be the deciding factor.
Both pairs have won three titles each, with Wei Chong-Kai Wun lifting the Syed Modi Indian International Championship 2022 (Super 300) and Taiwan Open in 2022 and 2023 (Super 300), and Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin, the US Open 2023 (Super 300), Kaohsiung Masters 2023 (Super 100) and Abu Dhabi Masters 2023 (Super 100).
Tokyo Olympics 2020 bronze medallists Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik are the only Malaysian pair to have unofficially booked their Olympics ticket as they are lying fifth in the Road to Paris rankings.
Only the top eight pairs are assured of qualification and the qualifying period ends on April 28.
