Six club players join BAM to bolster mixed doubles department

KUALA LUMPUR: Exciting times are ahead for Malaysia’s mixed doubles department.

Head coach Chin Ee Hui has decided to try pairing 19-year-old club player Chen Tang Jie with Goh Liu Ying at the India International Challenge from Nov 29-Dec 3 in Mumbai and the Maldives International Challenge in Male from Dec 5-10.

It will be Tang Jie’s first international senior tournament under the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) banner.

He is one of six shuttlers from Petaling Badminton Club (PBC) who have received an official invitation letter from BAM to join the national team at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM).

The other PBC players invited are Man Wei Chong, Kwek Yee Jian, Soh Wooi Yik, Tan Chee Tean and Ian Wong. All five will report for duty with men’s doubles head coach Cheah Soon Kit.

Tang Jie was selected to play for Malaysia at last year’s World Junior Championships in Bilbao, Spain, and he justified his inclusion by winning a bronze in mixed doubles with Toh Ee Wei and partnering Wei Chong in boys’ doubles to take Malaysia into the mixed team final.

This is the second time that Tang Jie will be under BAM’s programme. He joined the Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) in 2011 but was dropped in 2013. He went on to join Petaling BC.

“He was supposed to report for duty today but he needed to sort out some things with his club. He will check in next Monday,” said Ee Hui.

“He is hard working and we see good potential in him. Liu Ying has also agreed to play with him. With Tang Jie in, we will have five mixed doubles pairs.”

The others are world No. 10 Tan Kian Ming-Lai Pei Jing, Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie (No. 14), Chan Peng Soon-Cheah Yee See (No. 39) and Hoo Pang Ron-Peck Yen Wei (No. 74).

“I’ve entered them (Tang Jie-Liu Ying) for two tournaments. There will be a couple more exposure tournaments for them. I’ll assess their combination,” said Eei Hui.

“Liu Ying is also just making a comeback (after recovering from a shoulder injury). Let’s see how fast they can click.

“I’ve not ruled out the possibility of bringing Liu Ying and Peng Soon together again. We may use them for major tournaments next year.

“For now, I want Liu Ying and Peng Soon to guide their junior partners. This is the best way to fast forward the younger players’ progress.”

Peng Soon has done a great job of guiding Yee See since being paired up in June. They won the Russian Open Grand Prix Gold in July and reached the semi-finals of the Korean Open Superseries last month.