Men's singles Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin is all fired up to repay the trust placed on him by the BA of Malaysia (BAM) at the ongoing Badminton Asia Championships (BAC).
Realistically, the world No 113 may not even clear the first round today as he is up against world No 15 Wang Tzu Wei of Taiwan, but Aidil, who is in Malaysia's Thomas Cup squad, wants to prove his worth.
Initially, there was much controversy when Aidil was selected ahead of other higher-ranked Malaysian shuttlers like Soong Joo Ven and Cheam June Wei for the BAC.
However, BAM stood their ground, and it will only be right for the 22-year-old to put up a fighting display in his BAC debut.
"Historically, I know the BAC is a major event, and I would love to give my best in it.
"Looking at the draw, I know it will not be easy, and I need to be realistic too. I can't give a target and not achieve it. However, I will give my best and see how far I can go.
"BAM have named me for this tournament, so I need to play well to repay that trust," said Aidil, who could face India's Lakshya Sen should he clear the first round.
Aidil, who was part of Malaysia's Asia Team Championships winning squad earlier this year, added that it is not easy to play in tournaments during the fasting month of Ramadan, more so with training.
"This is my first time actually, I've never competed in a tournament during Ramadan, so it is a bit challenging.
"However, I am used to fasting and training, so maybe it won't be so bad after all," added Aidil.
The other Malaysians in the men's singles fray are world No 7 Lee Zii Jia, Liew Daren and Ng Tze Yong.
The BAC is the last stop before the players head to Bangkok for the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals on May 8-15.