PETALING JAYA: Men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi has hinted that more pairs could be split in the future.
However, the changes are unlikely to happen in the immediate term, with any reshuffle expected only after the World Championships in New Delhi in August.
Herry said any decision would depend on discussions among the coaching team and the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) management as they look to form the best combinations for the race to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which begins next year.
“There is a possibility. But we need to discuss with the players and also among the coaches to decide what is best,” said Herry.
“We have to start planning ahead, especially with major events like the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya in September and the Olympic qualifying race coming up next year.
“So we need to assess and decide which pairs to keep and which ones may need changes. There is a possibility of that.’’
For now, only world No. 2 pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik are safe from any reshuffle, while others, including Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, remain in consideration.
However, this will depend on Wei Chong’s injury, as Herry wants to ensure Kai Wun can continue competing if his partner needs more time to recover.
“As for Aaron-Wooi Yik, I think they are already settled as a pair. For the others, there are some considerations, especially with Wei Chong’s injury. It is possible to make temporary changes so that Kai Wun can continue competing while Wei Chong undergoes rehabilitation, as match exposure is important.
“For the rest, we will review after the upcoming tournaments. Up to the Indonesian Open and Australian Open, things should still be fine. Towards the end of the year, we will look again at the results and decide,” added Herry.
So far, one of the changes made is the split of world No. 30 pair Choong Hon Jian-Mohd Haikal Nazri. Haikal is now partnering Bryan Jeremy Goonting, while Hon Jian has teamed up with Wong Vin Sean, with both pairs set to compete at the Thailand Open from May 12-17.
