KUALA LUMPUR – Since badminton made its debut at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the men’s doubles has arguably been the most fiercely contested discipline.
Former national shuttler Tan Wee Kiong can attest to this after clinching the silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics with his then-partner Goh V Shem.
According to Wee Kiong, predicting the outcome in the men’s doubles is very difficult as the top-eight pairs in the world are closely matched.
Speaking to Scoop, Wee Kiong also highlighted the importance of managing pressure and expectations, especially for those like Malaysia’s current top pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, who will be making their second appearance at the world’s biggest sporting event in Paris this month.
“V Shem and I won the silver medal in our Olympics debut. Surely, we were not the favourites.
“But it has always been that way; the men’s doubles is very difficult to predict because it has always been an open affair.
“However, it may be a little different for Aaron-Wooi Yik, because they will be competing for a second time. On top of that, they already won bronze in their debut.
“I believe it’s not only the weight of the nation’s expectations that they will need to manage, but their own as well. Surely, they would want to do better than their previous best (bronze).
“My advice to Aaron-Wooi Yik is to try and enjoy themselves. They have received a rather decent draw, so they shouldn’t really be troubled,” said Wee Kiong, who currently plies his trade as a professional shuttler with Nur Azriyn Ayub.
When asked to comment on who he thought were the clear medal favourites for the Paris Olympics, Wee Kiong added: “Unlike the other disciplines, world rankings still carry some weight in the doubles.
“So the favourites are still your higher-ranked pairs. My guess is it could be anyone from the current top eight.”
Aaron-Wooi Yik, who became Malaysia’s first world champions (2022) in badminton, remain one of the country’s best bets for the elusive Olympic gold, apart from men’s singles star Lee Zii Jia and track cyclist Datuk Azizulhasni Awang.
World number fives Aaron-Wooi Yik have been drawn in Group A alongside world number ones Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang of China, England’s Ben Lane-Sean Vendy and Canada’s Adam Dong-Nyl Yakura.
Only the top two pairs from each of the four groups, A to D, will advance to the quarter-finals.
The badminton competition at the Olympics will start on July 27 at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena. – July 17, 2024