PETALING JAYA: While others may be setting targets for the Asian Championships in Ningbo from April 7-12, world No. 6 men’s doubles shuttler Man Wei Chong has only one wish – to stay injury free.
Wei Chong is still recovering from a right knee issue sustained during the All-England.
At last year’s edition, Wei Chong and his partner Tee Kai Wun fell short of expectations after exiting in the second round to Taiwan’s Liu Kuang-heng-Yan Po-han.
As such, he is keeping his expectations modest this time, with his main focus on regaining full match sharpness ahead of the Thomas Cup in Horsens, Denmark, two weeks later.
“When I first saw the doctor, I was told that surgery would not be necessary. So I just hope the injury does not recur at the Asian Championships and does not affect my performance.
“Right now, the most important thing is to take care of my condition, continue rehab and strengthen the muscles. That is the priority,” said Wei Chong.
He also expressed his appreciation to Kai Wun for his understanding and support, both mentally and during training sessions.
Wei Chong only resumed full training last week and has about a week to fine tune his preparations before departing for Ningbo with the national squad.
“So far, the progress has been quite good. I still have about a week to prepare for the Asian Championships and I will give my best there.
“I am also fortunate to have a partner who understands my situation and helps to cover me well on court,” he added.
While the other three Malaysian pairs in Ningbo – Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King – have already learned their opening round opponents, Wei Chong-Kai Wun may have to wait longer as they are set to face qualifiers.
