KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani may be enjoying the form of their lives and raking in the rewards, but there remain plenty of uncertainties and room for improvement as far as their independent careers are concerned.
Firstly, it remains to be seen whether Rosman Razak will continue as one of their coaches, as he is heavily linked with a return to the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM).
Secondly, since turning professional last month, Sze Fei and Izzuddin have only been training and sparring with fellow independents like Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi, as well as mixed doubles pairs Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai, and Tan Kian Meng and Lai Pei Jing, to name a few.
Regardless of Rosman’s status, in a recent interview with Scoop, the former international player emphasised the importance of Sze Fei and Izzuddin securing a solid support team if they wish to sustain their performance in the long term.
Speaking to the Badminton World Federation (BWF) today, following their 21-13, 21-13 first-round defeat to Thailand’s Kittinupong Kedren and Dechapol Puavaranukroh at the Super 750 Denmark Open yesterday, Sze Fei and Izzuddin acknowledged that assembling their own professional team could be the ideal setup for them moving forward.
“Ideally, that’s how it should be, but we still don’t know our exact arrangement,” said Izzuddin.
Understandably, it has only been a little over a month since the duo left the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), and they may still be in the process of managing their finances.
Following their good run of form, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh also hinted at including Sze Fei and Izzuddin in the Road to Gold (RTG) programme ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
After clinching their third World Tour title of the season at the Arctic Open last week, Sze Fei and Izzuddin joined badminton’s elite, becoming one of the few pairs to complete the full collection of World Tour titles, which includes the Super 100, 300, 500, 750, and 1000.
Next up for Sze Fei and Izzuddin are the Super 500 Kumamoto Masters and the Super 750 China Masters next month. They are also in the running to qualify for the US$2.5 million (RM10.7 million) season-ending World Tour Finals in December.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s top women’s doubles duo, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, advanced to the second round of the Denmark Open after battling to a 19-21, 21-17, 21-15 win over India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela.
The fifth-seeded Malaysians, who reached the final of the Arctic Open last week, will face South Korea’s Lee Yu-lim and Shin Seung-chan next for a place in the quarter-finals.
In the mixed doubles, Kian Meng and Pei Jing reached the second round following a comfortable 21-7, 21-14 win over England’s Ethan Van Leeuwen and Chloe Birch.
It was the end of the road for men’s singles player Leong Jun Hao, who lost 21-16, 21-14 to Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie. — October 17, 2024