PETALING JAYA: National men’s singles shuttler Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin (pic) believes that Justin Hoh’s rise in the senior squad will push him to do better.
Justin, who had been promoted to the senior team only a month ago, toppled several of his more experienced teammates including Leong Jun Hao and Aidil himself en route to capturing the Malaysian International Challenge title in Ipoh recently.
The 18-year-old’s stunning win saw him make a huge jump from No. 312 to No. 188 in the latest world rankings.
Aidil, who had been narrowly beaten 21-18, 16-21, 17-21 by Justin in a thrilling final, feels that the latter’s emergence will benefit him and the others in the men’s singles team.
“For me, its good that we have an upcoming player like Justin in the team. He can push me to be better,” said Aidil.
“Now, I’m aware that I need to improve more on court due to extra competition provided by Justin.’’
The 22-year-old, who has largely struggled to prove himself in the national team, has given himself a much-needed boost after reaching his first international tournament final since the 2019 Hellas Open where he also finished as runner-up.
Aidil’s performance had seen him rise from No. 94 to No. 81 in the world.
He is now aiming to break into the top 50 by the end of 2023.
“Although I feel disappointed that I could not win the title, reaching the final of a tournament after so long has given me more confidence.
“I feel that the key to my improved performances was that I managed to be more patient on court.
“I need to remain consistent in my upcoming tournaments. My target now is to break into the top 50 by end of next year,” said Aidil.
