Men on a mission: Teo Ee Yi (front) and Ong Yew Sin are eyeing a place in the Thomas Cup Finals squad next week.
PETALING JAYA: Age is catching up on doubles shuttler Teo Ee Yi but he is not slowing down.
In fact, Ee Yi is hoping for a double joy as his birthday blessing together with his faithful partner Ong Yew Sin next week.
Ee Yi, who turned 30 on Thursday, is eyeing for a place in the Thomas Cup Finals squad next week and also aiming to do well with Yew Sin in the Asian Championships in Ningbo, China starting on Tuesday.
The Thomas Cup is in Chengdu, China, from April 26-May 7 and national coaching director Rexy Mainaky will have to submit the names of his team by April 13.
If Ee Yi gets selected, it will be his third Finals and second with Yew Sin.
He made his debut at the 2018 edition in Bangkok, Thailand, and formed scratch partnership with Aaron Chia.
The duo lost to Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto in the second doubles, and Malaysia eventually lost 1-3 to Indonesia in the quarter-finals.
At the last edition, also in Bangkok, both Ee Yi and Yew Sin were named but Ee Yi once again played with Aaron in the last eight.
The duo won the second doubles’ point, before Leong Jun Hao lost to H.S. Prannoy in the third singles as the eventual champions India upset Malaysia 3-2 in the last eight for the first time in the Finals.
Coach Rosman Razak said Ee Yi and Yew Sin would be ready for national duty if they were needed.
“Ee Yi has not been bothered by any injury until now. From my side, the boys are ready to play if needed,” said Rosman.
Ee Yi-Yew Sin have to fight for the spots with Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and Goh Sze Wei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani to join former world champions Aaron-Soh Wooi Yik for the Finals trip.
But first, the duo, who left to China today, will be out to make a mark in the Asian meet, although they have to deal with tough opponents. The duo have been drawn against Japan’s Ayato Endo-Yuta Takei in the first round. If they win, they will likely face third seeds Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang of China in the next round.
They are in top half with top seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chiraq Shetty of India, Japan’s Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi and compatriots Wei Chong -Kai Wun, who will face China’s Chen Boyang-Liu Yi in the opener.
In the lower half battle, fourth seeds Aaron-Wooi Yik face qualifiers in the first round while Sze Fei-Izzuddin have to deal with second seeds world champions Kang Min-hyuk-Seo Seungjae in order to reach the last 16.
