KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 — National men’s doubles shuttler Muhammad Haikal Nazri and his partner Choong Hon Jian have set their sights on winning their maiden title at the Orleans Masters Badminton in Orleans, France, scheduled from March 12 to March 17.
He is targeting a successful outing in Orleans so the coaches can list Choong and himself for the 2024 Thomas Cup squad, which competes in Chengdu, China, from April 28 to May 5.
“So far, preparations are on track, and the draw is not bad to win the title in Orleans. To show that we deserve to be in the Thomas Cup squad, we have to prove ourselves by winning in Orleans.
“If we win the title, it will give the coaches some confidence. If we lose, how to make it to the Thomas Cup squad?” he told the press after a training session today.
In the Super 300 Orleans tournament, Choong-Haikal are drawn to meet another Malaysian pair, Lwi Sheng Hao-Jimmy Wong in the first round.
The pair, who had a troubled start to the season, hope to emulate last December’s form, which saw them capture two titles in a row in India, namely the 2023 Syed Modi International Championships and the Masters Guwahati.
Choong-Haikal started 2024 on the wrong footing at the 2024 Indonesia Masters when they lost in the second round to Daniel Lundgaard-Mads Vestergaard from Denmark, 17-21, 19-21.
Their fortune suffered another blow when both had to withdraw from the 2024 Thailand Masters following an ankle injury suffered by Muhammad Haikal when they were trailing 7-16 in the first set to South Korea’s Kim Won Ho-Na Sung Seung.
— Bernama
