Peng Soon going for gold in Singapore SEA Games

Peng Soon-Liu Ying delivered the winning point against South Korea in the group tie at the recent Sudirman Cup in Dongguan, China.

KUALA LUMPUR: Mixed doubles shuttler Chan Peng Soon couldn’t be happier.

At home, his wife May May is pregnant with their second child. On court, his partner Goh Liu Ying is back at her best.

And he’s hoping that there’ll be more joy when he competes in his third SEA Games in Singapore from June 5-12. He has his sights set on nailing his first gold medal in the biennial Games.

Peng Soon is relieved that Liu Ying has regained her confidence.

“She doesn’t hesitate on the court anymore. She’s not worried about her injuries anymore and she’s moving with confidence on court. It’s like the old Liu Ying is back!” said Peng Soon.

Liu Ying has made tremendous progress since resuming her partnership with Peng Soon in March – almost eight months after undergoing surgeries on both her knees.

This year, Peng Soon-Liu Ying have taken part in six tournaments, starting with the Swiss Open, but it was at last week’s Sudirman Cup in Dongguan, China, that they produced their best performance thus far.

The duo combined superbly to deliver the winning point against South Korea and India in the Group D ties.

Their strong showing in the world mixed team event saw them moving up 17 rungs to No. 54 in the latest world rankings released Thursday. They were once world No. 3.

“We didn’t qualify for this year’s World Championships (in Jakarta in August) because of the long break. We have the SEA Games to prove ourselves. It’s one of the biggest assignments for us this year,” said Peng Soon.

“The SEA Games gold medal is missing from my collection ... I hope Liu Ying can help me get my hands on it this time. Our main opponents are Indonesia and Thailand.”

Peng Soon’s best outing came at the 2009 Laos SEA Games where he won a silver in the men’s team event and a bronze with Liu Ying in the mixed doubles.

He finished empty-handed at the 2011 Games in Palembang and did not represent the country at the last edition in Myanmar two years ago.

“Hopefully, a good showing at the Games will also make my wife, who is five months pregnant, very happy,” said Peng Soon, who adores his four-year-old son Milton Chan Teng Yee.