PETALING JAYA: National mixed doubles shuttler Jimmy Wong believes he is on the right track to make his Olympic dream come true after adjusting to life back in the national set-up.
The 23-year-old, who rejoined the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) in April, hopes the return to the national team will help him realise his ambitions of qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics with partner Cheng Su Yin.
"Yes, qualifying for the Olympics is one of my main targets," said Jimmy.
"I just want to be able to do my best. I have the support of the coaches, and it helps a lot as well.
"But at the same time, I don’t want to set too many targets because that can end up bringing pressure so I’m just focused on delivering my best each time I step on court."
Besides that, Jimmy said the guidance and support from mixed doubles coach Nova Widianto also proved beneficial as the Olympian silver-medallist and former world champion has helped him adapt to tough situations on court.
"This is the first time I am training with a world-class coach like Nova. He has a lot of experience and it helps me to learn from him.
"He has helped me improve not just on my gameplay but also to develop as an individual," he said.
To make his Olympic dream come true, Jimmy said he and Su Yin aim to break into the top 32 by the end of the year, which would allow them to compete in higher-level tournaments such as Super 750 and Super 1000s. They are currently ranked 118th.
Jimmy added that his partnership with Su Yin has been going well as they communicate effectively with each other, but admitted there are aspects of their game that still need work.
"Overall, our progress has been good. We’ve played in four tournaments so far, and I’m satisfied. Of course, there are things we need to improve on.
"My hope is that we can be in the top 32 by the end of the year, so that we can compete in bigger tournaments," he said.
Jimmy and Su Yin had shown signs of their potential as a pair after they stunned world No. 1 Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping in the opening round of the Singapore Open, before their campaign ended in the second round last month.
