National men’s doubles Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik drew first blood over their former teammates Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong yesterday, as the race for Olympic qualification enters its final phase.
With just over three months before the cutoff date, the reigning Sea Games champions staked their claim with a convincing 21-19, 21-18 win over 2016 Olympic silver medallists V Shem-Wee Kiong in the first round of the Malaysia Masters at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
“We knew it was going to be tough because before they (V Shem-Wee Kiong) left the national team, we used to train together daily. It could have gone either way,” Aaron said.
“This is our first competitive match against them and it’s great to get our year off to a winning start,” he added.
Currently on the Race to Tokyo list, Aaron-Wooi Yik are ranked No 10, while V Shem-Wee Kiong are close on their heels at No 12.
Each country can have a maximum representation of two pairs at the Olympics if they are ranked within the top eight bracket at the end of April.
Aaron said he and Wooi Yik will have to remain focused at this crucial juncture.
“The Olympic qualifying period is in its final phase now and every pair out there is working very hard to not lose ground.
“Similarly, we have to stay focused and work very hard in every match of every tournament.”
Aaron-Wooi Yik, will have a one-day break before they face the winners of today’s match between World No 1, Marcus Fernaldi Gideon-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo and Taiwan’s Lin Chia You-Yang Ming Tse, in tomorrow’s second round.
Meanwhile, Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi, who were recently dropped from the national squad, reached the second round yesterday with a hard fought 21-15, 18-21, 21-15 win over India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chiraj Shetty.
The Malaysians, who have secured a sponsorship deal with Li Ning, will face the winners of the match between eighth seeds, Han Cheng Kai-Zhou Hao Dong of China and Germany’s Jones Ralfy Jansen-Peter Kaesbauer, next. Fabian Peter