KUALA LUMPUR: The country’s professional mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie have targeted a semifinal spot to ensure a medal from the World Badminton Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark from Aug 21 to 27.
Soon Huat, 33, said after having lost at the quarterfinal stages in the previous editions, he and his partner Shevon hope to end their losing streak and come home with a medal from the prestigious tournament for the first time.
“This is our fourth appearance and our best record in the championships was reaching the quarterfinals. Therefore, this time around we hope to reach the semifinals, thus giving us an opportunity to win a medal,” said Soon Huat when met during a training session, here today.
Soon Huat-Shevon, currently ranked 10th in the BWF World ranking, are drawn to face the winners between Bulgarian pair Iliyan Stoynov-Hristomira Popovska and Jonathan Solis-Diana Corleto Soto from Guatemala in the second round, after receiving a first round bye.
A win in the second round will feature the Malaysian pair against China’s Feng Yan Zhe-Huang Dong Ping who are among the seeded pairs in the championships.
“I don’t regard the draw as a good one for us but to be fair, chances in the mixed doubles competition is 50-50, because it has become very competitive. In the third round we may meet a Chinese pair that is very strong,” said Shevon.
However, Shevon remained confident of their chances although they will be facing stiff competition throughout the championships.
“We have a high level of confidence because we have trained very hard to overcome our opponents and breakthrough into a new level…though competition is going to be very stiff due to the presence of very talented pairs, we have to overcome these hurdles,” said the 30-year-old shuttler.
Soon Huat-Shevon emerged as the runner-up in the Switzerland Open in March before adding a bronze medal to their trophy cabinet at the Badminton Asia Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) the following month.
Meanwhile, national men’s doubles professional shuttler Teo Ee Yi is not expecting much at the World meet as he has just recovered from an injury.
The 30-year-old said the right foot injury he sustained during the Australian Open earlier this month prevented him from doing high-intensity training ahead of the world meet.
Asked about his and his partner Ong Yew Sin’s chances of making the quarter-finals, Ee Yi replied: “don’t know”.
“Because I suffered the injury a few weeks ago, only now I’m starting to feel a little better and start intensive training, so not expecting much, just to do the best,” he said after their training session here today.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi, who captured bronze in the 2021 World Championships in Huelva, Spain, will take on the winners of the clash between Thailand’s Pharanyu Kaosamaang and American Vinson Chiu-Joshua Yuan in the second round after receiving a first round bye.
World number eight Yew Sin-Ee Yi, who also clinched silver in the Badminton Asia Championships in Dubai, in April are seeded seventh in Denmark. – BERNAMA
