PETALING JAYA: Former world No. 1 men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei–Nur Izzuddin Rumsani know the weight of expectation and are determined to rise to it at the Thomas Cup Finals in Horsens, Denmark, from April 24-May 3.
With that in mind, the duo are eager to make full use of the eight-day centralised training camp in Herning as they look to play their part in helping Malaysia end a 34-year wait for the prestigious title.
Sze Fei admitted that he and Izzuddin have struggled to hit top form in recent tournaments, and is hopeful the training camp will help them rediscover their rhythm.
“I hope we can build strong team spirit and improve our performance.
“The struggles are there, but we are trying our best to get back to our best level.
“The centralised camp is good, not just for me but for the whole team,” said Sze Fei.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin have seen a slight dip in form since winning the Indonesian Masters in January, including a disappointing outing at the Asian Championships in Ningbo two weeks ago, where they crashed out in the first round.
The tournament also served as the final selection platform for the Thomas Cup, where they were competing with compatriots Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King for a spot in Horsens.
Both pairs, however, suffered first-round exits.
Despite that, Sze Fei-Izzuddin earned the nod based on their experience in team competitions, with this set to be their fourth Thomas Cup appearance.
They are also no strangers to forming scratch partnerships with other pairs in the squad, namely Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun.
At the 2020 edition in Aarhus, for instance, Izzuddin partnered Wooi Yik while Aaron teamed up with Sze Fei in Malaysia’s Group D opener against Canada.
