PETALING JAYA: Men’s doubles player Wan Arif Wan Junaidi (pic) is ready to form a scratch pairing if called upon ahead of the Asian Team Championships in Qingdao, China, which begins on Feb 3.
His regular partner Yap Roy King is currently sidelined with an ankle injury sustained at the Indian Open in New Delhi last week.
Despite the setback, Arif remains upbeat, knowing that the tournament in Qingdao will be crucial in determining selection for the Thomas Cup Finals in Horsens, Denmark, in May.
While hoping Roy King can recover in time for the Asian Team Championships, Arif said he is prepared should the coaching team opt to experiment with new combinations as part of their overall team strategy.
“For the Asian Team Championships, we still need to monitor Roy King’s condition. That’s why we withdrew from the Indonesian Masters – we didn’t want him to play and risk worsening the injury. Right now, our focus is on preparing for the tournament,” said Arif.
“This time, we have to seize the opportunity and prove that we deserve to be in the squad. There might also be a scratch pair, but that will depend entirely on the coaches.
“Roy King has already seen a doctor for further checks at the National Sports Institute (NSI), and we’ll see what he needs to do. Hopefully, he can resume training on Thursday or Friday.”
Apart from Arif-Roy King, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) have also named other members of the national second string, including Choong Hon Jian-Mohd Haikal Nazri, as well as Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing.
However, based on the world rankings, Arif-Roy King are the highest-ranked pair in the squad at No. 19, followed by Hon Jian-Haikal at No. 34, with Aaron and Khai Xing ranked two places lower.
The men’s singles squad feature Justin Hoh, Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin, Eogene Ewe and Kong Wei Xiang.
Malaysia will face Indonesia in the group stage, with Myanmar also drawn in Group D.
“If we are the first pair, we need to gain as much experience as possible. Even when facing strong opponents, we don’t want to overthink - we’ll just do our best and give our all,” added Arif.
The national men’s team were champions at the 2022 edition in Setia Alam, Selangor, and finished runners-up in 2024.
