Good times: Toh Ee Wei (left), Nova Widianto, and Chen Tang Jie all smiles last year, after the pair won the Korean Open.
KUALA LUMPUR: Mixed doubles coach Nova Widianto has issued a stern ultimatum to his charges, Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, urging them to mend their differences and regain their best form ahead of the Sudirman Cup in May or face the prospect of being split up.
Nova revealed that he had decided to withdraw Tang Jie-Ee Wei from the upcoming Asian Championships in Ningbo, China, from April 8-13, as he felt they were not in the right state of mind to compete.
The world No. 4 pair had been struggling with internal conflicts following disappointing early exits at both the Orleans Masters and All-England, raising concerns over their chemistry on court.
The Indonesian coach disclosed that the root of their issues stemmed from their excessively high expectations of each other, which led to emotional struggles during matches.
He added that tensions between the two had been brewing for some time and were already evident during the Paris Olympics last year.
"This issue has been ongoing for some time. Whenever results don’t go their way, there always seems to be some tension in their partnership.
"For now, we have decided to withdraw them from the Asian Championships. We will reassess the situation later. I have informed the management, because I feel that they are not ready for this tournament.
"Off the court, they are fine. But on the court, they struggle to control their emotions. That’s the main issue. So, we decided to take a step back and put their tournament participation on hold for now,
"We'll see how things go after the Asian Championships. But I hope they will be ready for the Sudirman Cup because this is for the country, not just for them as a pair," said Nova when met after the BAM committee meeting at the Academy Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara on Monday.
Nova is currently monitoring their progress and hopes they can restore their partnership on court.
However, should the situation remain unresolved, he will not hesitate to split them up for the Taiwan Open and Thailand Open in May.
"This will not involve Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin. We may split them up and pair them with younger players, but it will all depend on their situation," he added.
