Despite a sudden change to his mixed doubles arrangement, Malaysian shuttler Chan Peng Soon is excited to make it work with new partner Toh Ee Wei.
Chan was initially paired with Valeree Siow upon his return to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) earlier this year, but the pair was split after just two tournaments as she was given women’s doubles commitment with Low Yeen Yuan.
The 33-year-old Olympic silver medalist was handed a new partner in Toh, a promising mixed doubles shuttler herself who won several titles at the lower tier events last year.
Chan said at this stage of his career, helping a younger compatriot rise through the ranks would be a fulfilling achievement.
“If I can bring a junior shuttler to achieve a high ranking, that feeling is a huge contentment. For instance when I partnered [Cheah] Yee See, we reached a world ranking of 17th from zero in seven months only. I have shown it is a process that works.
“But it is important for me to feel that it’s absolutely worth it. It is going to be tough, for sure, making another adjustment, but this is a challenge I am up for,” Chan told Stadium Astro.
The shuttler also ruled out dabbling in men’s doubles, if he was offered a younger partner.
“I have not played in men’s doubles for a long time. As a professional, we know how big the difference is in terms of rhythm for the men’s and mixed doubles. At this stage, I don’t wish to venture into something new and would rather stick to my core expertise,” he added.
The new pair already registered to take part in the Polish Open in three weeks' time, but national coaching director Wong Choong Hann said the participation of national shuttlers at the tournament was still undecided due to an escalating situation between Russian and Ukraine.
“We have just entered the names of the shuttlers, so there is some time before we decide to withdraw. But looking at the situation, it doesn’t look good. Of course, we will prioritise the players’ safety,” he said.
