KUALA LUMPUR: National mixed doubles head coach Nova Widianto wants Malaysia’s breakthrough world title in Paris on Sunday to serve as the first step towards narrowing the gap with powerhouse China.
Nova admitted that China remain the benchmark in mixed doubles, with their depth often seeing three or four pairs in the quarter-finals of major tournaments.
The badminton dragons have three pairs — world No. 1 Jiang Zhen Bang-Wei Ya Xin, No. 2 Feng Yan Zhe-Huang Dong Ping and No. 7 Guo Xin Wa-Chen Fang Hui – in the world’s top 10.
But the Indonesian believes world No. 3 Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei’s historic triumph has proven that Malaysian pairs can compete at the highest level.
“For mixed doubles, China are still number one. Their strength is in depth, especially with the women’s players,” Nova said.
“But this win shows they are not unbeatable. With hard work, we can challenge them.”
To build a stronger foundation, Nova stressed the importance of producing more quality combinations so that Malaysia do not rely solely on Tang Jie–Ee Wei and Hoo Pang Ron–Cheng Su Yin.
“My target has always been to create more pairs for Malaysia,” said the two-time world champion.
“We cannot put all the pressure on just one or two combinations. For the mixed doubles sector to grow, we need a strong supporting cast.”
Nova is encouraged by the juniors who are beginning to show their potential, citing Wee Yee Hern-Chan Wen Tse’s victory at the Thailand International Series and Tan Zhi Yang-Nicole Tan’s triumph at the Malaysia International Challenge last month.
“The world title is just the beginning. I want our players to believe in themselves and to know that we can produce more world-class pairs,” he added.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
