PETALING JAYA: Doubles shuttler Yap Roy King is eager to return to competitions after two months on the sidelines.
Roy King is set to make his comeback at the Swiss Open from March 19-24 in Basel, which is his first tournament of the year with Wan Arif Wan Junaidi and Valeree Siow in the men’s and mixed doubles respectively.
While excited to make his comeback, he is also remaining cautious as he does not want to get injured again.
“Everything is going good and well since it is the first week back to training, but I still need time to rediscover the chemistry with Arif to reach our best condition,” said Roy King after a training session at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara yesterday.
Roy King’s current ranking in the men’s doubles and mixed doubles are 58 and 49 respectively.
The 23-year-old captured the national titles with both Arif and Valeree last year.
Roy King also won the Nantes International Challenge and the Indonesian Masters with Arif and Valeree respectively.
Despite the challenges of adapting to competitions again after returning from injury, Roy King and Arif are aiming to reach at least the quarter-finals.
However, they are focusing more on the process rather than fixating on results and rankings, aiming to build confidence and gradually progressing through the tournament.
Roy King said a lesson learned during the challenging period of injury was the importance of communication between partners.
“I know how to protect myself during my recovery process and I believe I am getting better at managing two events,” said Roy King.
“I will keep communicating with my partner and consulting my coaches regarding my condition after matches.”
Roy King-Arif will face Denmark’s Andreas Sondergaard-Jesper Toft in the first round of the Swiss tourney.
In the mixed doubles, Roy King and Valeree will start in the qualifying round against Germany’s Jan Voelker-Stine Kuespert.
