IPOH: The battle to be the next Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing starts now.
Shuttlers Aaron-Khai Xing, who captured the boys’ doubles title in the World Junior Championships last year, have moved up to the senior team, leaving a void behind in the junior set-up.
Junior doubles coach Hoon Thien How admitted that it will be no easy task to replace Aaron and Khai Xing.
“Aaron and Khai Xing joined BAM (Badminton Association of Malaysia) when they were 13 while the current batch of players only came in last year and are mostly around 17.
“So, while Aaron-Khai Xing had time to master the basics here, we need to change many aspects of the game in the players currently we have as they are coming into the team much later from the states.
“We have also decided to shake up the partnerships and try out new combinations after unsatisfactory results in a few tournaments.
“We felt there was a gap between our pairs and those from China, South Korea and Japan and we need to make changes before the Asian Junior Championships in July,” added Thien How.
Among the new pairs that Thien How is trying out are Datu Anif Isaac-Damien Ling, Isyraf Hafizin-Ungku Mohamed Ungku Ameer and Mohd Shazmir Irfan-Pang Khai Zhe.
Anif will be taking on double duty as he will also continue playing in the mixed doubles with Dania Sofea Zaidi.
The 17-year-old has proved his potential with Dania and the duo finished runners-up in the Dutch Junior International in March.
Thien How feels Anif has what it takes to excel in the boys’ doubles too and hopes Damien, who is also 17 and joined BAM last year, will be the right partner for him.
“I saw Anif play in the Dutch Juniors and felt he has the quality to play in boys’ doubles too,” said Thien How.
“It’s not easy though to get the right partner for him. Damien is capable of playing at the front court while Anif is more adept at the back.
“Both have looked good together in training, so we want to try them out in tournaments and see.”
Anif-Damien are the top seeds in the Under-18 National Championships and will be out to justify the faith shown by Thien How in them.
Isyraf-Ungku Mohamed Ungku Ameer and Mohd Shazmir Irfan-Khai Zhe are also playing in the tourney and all three pairs will be vying for the title along with others as BAM’s search for the next Aaron-Khai Xing begins.
