KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 — National mixed doubles head coach Nova Widianto hopes that his players can capitalise on the absence of retired Chinese pair Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong to shine at the 2025 Malaysia Open, despite facing tough challenges, including the possibility of meeting each other as early as the second round due to an unfavourable draw.
He is confident this is the ideal time for his players to rise and demonstrate their superiority, while also praising Zheng and Huang as a resilient pair, who had won the Malaysia Open four times, owing to their remarkable ability to claw back points even when trailing.
“For this Malaysia Open, I urge everyone to give their best effort. We do not have many targets, and the players will be under pressure. What is important is to perform for Malaysia.
“With Si Wei and Ya Qiong’s absence, this is our chance to find a champion. It’s time for us to step up, as some players have retired. We must seize this opportunity,” Nova said during a press conference at the Malaysian Badminton Academy, Bukit Kiara, recently.
In the upcoming 2025 Malaysia Open, Nova’s pairs, Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei and Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin are set to face Taiwanese duos Wu Hsuan Yi-Yang Chu Yun and Ming Che Lu-Huang En Tzu respectively, in their bid to secure a second-round berth.
When asked whether Hoo and Cheng, currently ranked 20th in the world, need to quickly improve their ranking to emulate Tang Jie and Ee Wei’s ascent into the world’s top five, Nova emphasised that a higher ranking could help the pair avoid facing each other in the early rounds of tournaments.
“In terms of gameplay, Pang Ron and Su Yin have shown confidence, especially Su Yi. However, this Malaysia Open will be her first time competing,” he said.
Nova also commended the professional duo Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai Jemie for their encouraging performances.
The overall improvement of national mixed doubles players, whether under the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) or independent professionals, has fostered healthy competition.
He expressed hope that BAM could develop more mixed doubles pairs to strengthen the national lineup.
“I hope we can have two, three, or even four more pairs. For now, we are still trying to identify and develop talent. The challenge is the limited number of female players. Sometimes they perform well in training, but their tournament character hasn’t fully emerged,” Nova added.
The 2025 Malaysia Open is set to take place from Tuesday (January 7) to Sunday (January 12), at the Axiata Arena Bukit Jalil.
— Bernama
