PETALING JAYA: Women’s doubles head coach Rosman Razak has urged his charges Low Zi Yu-Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan and Choong Jie Yu-Vanessa Ng not to be intimidated as they gear up for their debut at the Asian Championships, which begin in Ningbo today.
Both young pairs will begin their campaign in the qualifying rounds. Zi Yu-Noraqilah, aged 16 and 19 respectively, have been drawn in Group D where they will face Thailand’s Phattarin Aiamvareesrisaku-Sarisa Janpeng and Macau’s Ng Weng Chi-Pui Chi Wa.
Meanwhile, Jie Yu-Vanessa, aged 21 and 23, are in Group B and will take on Sri Lanka’s Isuri Attanayake-Sithumi De Silva and Vietnam’s Pham Thi Dieu Ly-Pham Thi Khanh.
Only the group winners will advance to the main draw, and both pairs have a chance to join world No. 2 Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah and Carmen Ting-Ong Xin Yee.
Rosman wants both pairs to make the most of the opportunity to gain experience and show strong fighting spirit without feeling nervous against top opponents.
“I think this is a very good opportunity for them. At such a young age, they get to compete in a big tournament. Hopefully they can deliver, which means playing to their fullest without fear or hesitation,” said Rosman.
“Thanks to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) for allowing them to compete, so this is a great opportunity for them.”
At the same time, Rosman explained that the younger players in the women’s doubles squad are currently being given dual roles, with opportunities to feature in mixed doubles as well.
So far, there is no fixed plan for them to focus on a single event, as this approach is seen as beneficial for their long-term development.
For example, Zi Yu is partnering Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal Ahmad in mixed doubles at junior level, while Noraqilah is currently paired with Loo Bing Kun.
“From my discussions with Nova Widianto (mixed doubles head coach) and Rexy Mainaky (coaching director), we are keeping the options open for these young players in both women’s doubles and mixed doubles as they are still very young.
“In terms of training, there is no issue as both women’s doubles and mixed doubles sessions help improve their individual development.
“So for now, there is no decision yet for them to focus on a single discipline,” added Rosman.
