KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — Kang Khai Xing-Aaron Tai, the 2024 World Junior Badminton Championships boys’ doubles champions, are ready to take their game to a higher level.
Kang said the main mission this year is to try to be among the world's top 30 pairs now that they are ranked 59th based on the latest list released by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
In addition to their 2024 world junior triumph in Nanchang, China, he hopes the experience of having featured in five World Tour tournaments, including the Super 500-status Australian Open and Hong Open last year, will boost their confidence to compete at the highest level despite their early exits.
"We gained a lot of experience, especially in terms of playing with more speed and power. Some pairs are better than us but others are about the same standard.
"However, we cannot underestimate our opponents and we need to work hard because it's tougher at the senior level and not easy to earn points,” Kang told the press after a training session today.
The 18-year-old Kelantanese shuttler hopes that he and his partner can get past the qualifying round of their season-opening tournament, the 2025 Indonesia Masters, at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta from January 21 to January 26.
Kang-Tai will take on China's Sun Wen Jun-Zhu Yi Jun for a place in the main draw.
The talented pair ended Malaysia's 13-year wait to clinch the boy’s doubles gold medal at the World Junior Championships by downing China's Hu Ke Yuan-Lin Xiang Yi 21-18, 15-21, 21-18.
Nelson Heg and Teo Ee Yi were the last Malaysian boys’ doubles pair to win the title at the 2011 edition of the World Junior Championships.
— Bernama
