KUALA LUMPUR: Their team may be targeted for a top-four finish at the Asia Mixed Team Championships beginning next Tuesday in Dubai, but men's doubles ace Aaron Chia has a bigger ambition.
Aaron has called on his teammates to make a push for Malaysia's first major trophy in mixed team event, as he was convinced that the squad has the depth to contend this time.
Malaysia boast arguably the strongest first-choice line-ups among the competing nations in Dubai, featuring top-10 ranked players in four of the five disciplines except for women's singles.
Malaysia can certainly count on world No 4 Lee Zii Jia in the men's singles, Aaron-Soh Wooi Yik (No 2 in men's doubles), Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (No 5 in women's doubles) and Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing (No 6 in mixed doubles) to deliver the goods.
Aaron added that the momentum is also with the team considering that Malaysia had won the mixed team gold at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games last year.
In 2021, Malaysia also claimed their first Sudirman Cup podium after a lapse of 12 years.
"On paper, I feel that we have a good chance to fight for the title," said Aaron.
"Also, it wasn't too long ago that we had triumphed at the Commonwealth Games and were still buoyed by it.
"I believe all of us are eager to stamp our mark on the bigger stage this time."
In the past two editions of the tournament also known as the Tong Yun Kai Cup, Malaysia had failed to impress after the team were stopped in the quarter-finals in Vietnam 2017 and Hong Kong 2019.
The Asia Mixed Team Championship will also serve as the continental qualifier for the Sudirman Cup Finals, to be held in Suzhou, China in May. The top four finishers will qualify on merit.
However, Malaysia will be under no pressure to finish in the top four in Dubai as they would still make the cut by virtue of being the leading three nations (who did not qualify through the continental event) in the BWF World Team Rankings.
Malaysia are currently ranked fifth in the world.
Wooi Yik was adamant that he and his teammates are taking the Dubai meet seriously.
"There's no way we will feel relaxed. We're representing Malaysia and we go into every tournament wanting to give our all for the country," said Wooi Yik.
"This continental meet is just as important as the Thomas Cup and Sudirman Cup."
Malaysia are drawn in Group B with India, Kazakhstan and host UAE.