KUALA LUMPUR – Being more experienced than his new partner gives Goh Sze Fei the added pressure to guide Choong Hon Jian.
However, the 25-year-old national men’s doubles shuttler said he decided to simply brush off the thought and focus on improving their form on the court.
“As a badminton player, I face pressure always, but I cannot take that as an excuse. I have to face this situation head on and learn to manage it,” he said when met during training at Akademi Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara here yesterday.
Sze Fei has been partnering with Hon Jian since February after the former and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani decided to split following a string of poor performances.
Their highest ranking was 9th in the world.
Sze Fei-Hon Jian were ranked 267th on March 13, then climbed to 123rd on Monday.
Sze Fei said they need to achieve a higher position soon to ensure their qualification for higher-level tournaments next year.
“I hope we can raise our ranking higher as soon as possible so that we can compete at bigger tournaments.
“However, we do not have an exact timeline for the ranking. Realistically, top 50 by the end of the year,” he added.
Meanwhile, Melaka-born Sze Fei praised Hon Jian for doing well but felt slightly disappointed with himself during their participation at Osaka International Challenge after exiting the first round.
He said much needs to be done to improve his form.
“I feel quite satisfied with Hon Jian’s performance but not so much with my own. I feel I was not steady enough throughout the match.
“Although this does not happen often, it did happen in a few matches before. I am determined to find a solution,” he added.
Since Sze Fei and Hon Jian were partnered, their best result was at Thailand International Challenge when they reached the final stage but lost to Thailand’s Chaloempon Charoenkitamorn-Nanthakarn Yordphaisong, 21-15, 15-21, 22-24.
It was their first tournament together. – The Vibes, April 5, 2023
