PETALING JAYA: National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky has singled out Hoo Pang Ron-Toh Ee Wei as the most stable mixed doubles pair at the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) to fight for a place in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The national mixed doubles squad have been further depleted after the exits of Chan Peng Soon-Cheah Yee See and Peck Yen Wei last week.
Pang Ron, 24, has accepted the challenge and says he and the 22-year-old Ee Wei will be fighting hard to qualify for the 2024 Olympics.
They will have to compete with independent pairs – world No 7 Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing and world No. 11 Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie – for a place at the Olympics.
“It is a motivation for us as it is every player’s dream to play at the Olympics and we will fight till the end to qualify for it,” said Pang Ron.
“We have only been partnering each other for the last few months and haven’t really got the time to train in long phases due to competitions. We need to improve a lot and we need time to slowly progress to become an established pair.”
With Kian Meng-Pei Jing and Soon Huat-Shevon doing well, Pang Roon-Ee Wei need to push hard and try to make it into the top eight to ensure they make the cut for Paris.
A country is allowed to have two pairs in the doubles events if they are ranked in the top eight at the end of the one-year Olympic qualifiers expected to conclude in in May, 2024.
However, Pang Ron says the presence of the two independent combinations will give him and Ee Wei the competition they need to keep improving.
“It’s good that senior pairs are still playing as we can keep competing against them and it will also help us improve our performance,” added Pang Ron.
“Although there is pressure as the No. 1 pair in BAM at the moment, we are also excited with our current status. But we cannot just remain complacent and must keep working hard.”
Pang Ron is comfortable with the current position as the most senior pair with Ee Wei but the most important thing is for him to get starting better results.
The duo have reached the quarter-finals of three tournaments – Indonesia, Singapore and Japan Opens – this year but are aiming for better results beginning next year.
The other mixed doubles pairs in the BAM set-up are Chen Tang Jie-Yap Ling, Choong Hon Jian-Go Pei Kee and Loo Bing Kun-Yap Cheng Wen.
