Signed and sealed: (From left) Sports Affair Badminton Club president Raezal Hussein, Datuk Razif Sidek and VH Group managing director Simon Wong.
PETALING JAYA: Independent men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani stayed in the hunt for a spot at the World Tour Finals from Dec 17-21 in Hangzhou, China, after a hard-fought second round win in the Japan Masters yesterday.
The world No. 4 Malaysians had to dig deep before securing a narrow 21-23, 21-13, 26-24 victory over world No. 143 Kakeru Kumagai-Hiroki Nishi of Japan at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.
However, their task is far from over.
With compatriots Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik already qualified for the season-ending event and Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun sitting in third spot with 84,350 points in the qualification ranking, Sze Fei-Izzuddin must win the title in Japan to stay in contention.
Kai Wun’s ongoing calf injury, however, could open the door for Sze Fei-Izzuddin if Wei Chong-Kai Wun are unable to compete.
Datuk Razif Sidek said the duo’s fate now depends on their performance in the remaining tournaments – the ongoing Japan Masters and next week’s Australian Open – to secure crucial ranking points.
“We hope that one more pair will qualify for the World Tour Finals,” said Razif at the official signing ceremony of the partnership between Sports Affair Badminton Club and VH Group at the Bubble Sports Complex in Cheras yesterday.
“But since Man-Tee lost in the first round in Japan, that made things a bit more difficult.
“It really depends now on Din-Fei and how they perform in the remaining tournaments with next week’s Australian Open being their last chance to collect points.
“The fight between the professional and BAM pairs is very close, even though there is a difference in ranking points.
“We hope everyone will try their best.”
Sze Fei-Izzuddin will face Taiwan’s world No. 12 Lee Jhe-huei-Yang Po-hsuan in the quarter-finals today.
The Malaysians hold a slight edge having won five of their seven previous encounters.
Meanwhile, Sports Affair Badminton Club launched its Junior Development Squad, featuring 10 young players aged 14 to 17, with sponsorship from VH Group.
“With VH Group’s support, we are building a stronger platform for our young shuttlers,” said Sports Affair Badminton Club president Raezal Hussein.
“We are truly grateful to VH Group for their trust and commitment in supporting our vision for Malaysian badminton.
“This sponsorship enables us to provide full-time training and participation in four to five local and international tournaments throughout the partnership.”
