Moving forward: Tee Kai Wun (left) and Man Wei Chong are ranked 19th in the world.
PETALING JAYA: Doubles shuttlers Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun climb up the world ranking ladder has opened up the race for Malaysia to qualify for the Olympic Games.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun has moved up four rungs to the world No. 19 position after reaching the final of the Arctic Open final in Finland on Sunday.
And national coaching director Rexy Mainaky now believes that Malaysia have four pairs fighting for the maximum two slots for 2024 Paris.
He said the focus is not solely on Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik in the Olympic race.
Aaron-Wooi Yik have steadied their ship and are in the driver’s seat to claim a ticket to the Paris Olympics. Bronze medals at the World Championships in Copenhagen (August) and the Hangzhou Asian Games two weeks ago has furthered strengthened their position.
However, Rexy feels that world No. 9 Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi, Wei Chong-Kai Wun and world No. 24 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani have also intensified the competition.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun, winners of the Taiwan Open in June, had also reached the Malaysian Masters final in May before losing in the final in Finland.
The duo have shown the ability to go far and are on the brink of breaking their jinx in the super 500 events.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi have managed to maintain their position in the top 10 and the independent pair are expected to redouble their efforts to return to the top eight which would guarantee a country a maximum of two spots at the Olympics.
“We have several pairs to fight for Olympic spots and this is very positive for us,” said Rexy.
“The competition between these four pairs is very good and this also gives us the genuine chance to target two spots in the Olympic race.”
A country can have two pairs if both are ranked in the top 16 by end of the qualifying period end of April next year.
The ongoing Denmark Open will see Wei Chong-Kai Wun taking on Japan’s Akira Koga-Taichi Saito of Japan in the first round today.
“Wei Chong-Kai Wun can benefit from a better communication on court. They were very quiet when things were not going their way at the Arctic Open final,” said Rexy.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin, split in March but resumed again in July by winning their first tournament – the US Open and also the Kaohsiung Masters in Taiwan early this month.
