PETALING JAYA: Men’s doubles pair Choong Hon Jian-Mohd Haikal Nazri are just three spots away from breaking into the world’s top 32, but that target may now be in jeopardy following yet another injury setback.
Hon Jian has reportedly sustained an abdominal injury, forcing the duo to withdraw from this week’s Hylo Open.
He was seen doing only light training at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara on Friday, having just resumed practice the day before.
It is understood that Hon Jian picked up the injury during the Arctic Open semi-finals against England’s Ben Lane-Sean Vendy, and continued to play through the pain when they faced world No. 7 Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang in the opening round of the Denmark Open.
For Haikal, although he remains positive and continues to support his partner, he admitted that the injury disruptions have affected their momentum and plans.
Both players have had their share of physical setbacks, with Haikal sidelined for several months after tearing his hip muscle earlier this year. Ironically, Hon Jian had suffered the same injury just a few months earlier.
Their latest setback has now cast doubt over their participation in the Kumamoto Masters from Nov 11-16.
“This will definitely affect us. When I was injured earlier this year, it took a long time to recover, and before that, he was the one sidelined. We performed well at the Arctic and Denmark Opens, and it felt like we were finally getting our rhythm back, but now he’s injured again.
“As of now, I can only say that we’ll try our best to compete at the Kumamoto Masters,” said Haikal.
So far, only men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik have withdrawn from the tournament, along with another independent duo, Ng Eng Cheong-Low Hang Yee.
At the same time, Haikal remains optimistic that he and Hon Jian can still break into the world’s top 32 by the end of the year, despite having only about three tournaments left to play, including the Australian Open and Syed Modi International.
Haikal-Hon Jian are currently ranked No. 35 in the world, and achieving that target would allow them to automatically compete in top-tier Super 1000 tournaments such as the Malaysian Open in January.
“I think we can do it. Not just that we can, but it’s something I really want – to be among the world’s top 32 so that it’ll be easier for us when entering major tournaments.
“Once we’re in the top 32, it will give us more confidence to play in those events without having to worry so much,” he added.
