KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s junior badminton player Muhammad Faiq Haziq is at a crossroads, deciding whether to continue as a men’s singles player or to switch to his favourite – men’s doubles.
Faiq, recently returning from the World Junior Badminton Championships in Nanchang, China, has been promoted to the senior squad. However, deep down, he said that he believes he can excel in the men’s doubles category.
At the ongoing Malaysia Super 100 Championship at Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara, Faiq’s journey in the men’s singles ended early in the qualifying round, losing to Chu Chen Jia from Chinese Taipei.
However, his partnership with Lok Hong Quan in the doubles paid off, as they successfully got through the qualifiers and will compete in the main draw tomorrow.
At the same time, the coaching staff at the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) has a different view, citing that the 18-year-old left-handed player has great potential to be developed into a men’s singles player.
“I’m often asked whether I want to be a singles or men’s doubles player. My name is currently in the senior men’s singles squad – but in reality, I want to play in the doubles event.
“But coach (Rexy Mainaky) told me that I’m still young, and he asked me to focus on singles for at least a year, so I’ll follow the coach’s instructions.
“I want to play men’s doubles because I see a brighter future in that event, and honestly, I’ve achieved better results in doubles than in singles,” said Faiq.
In Nanchang last week, Faiq competed in both events, but unfortunately, neither resulted in a satisfying outcome for him.
In the men’s singles event, he was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Indonesian player Mohd Zaki Ubaidillah.
In doubles, his partnership with Hong Quan also fell short, losing in the third round to the duo of Karsten Spencer Darma and Dapa Lesmana.
Meanwhile, Faiq is hopeful of achieving better results this week at the Malaysia Super 100, especially since Stadium Juara is a venue he knows well.
“I’ve been training here since I was first selected for the junior squad, so this venue may give me and my partner a slight advantage.
“I’m happy to continue my journey in the doubles event after being eliminated from singles earlier. I feel I can do my best in the Super 100 because I’ve been given this opportunity, and all I need to do is give it my all,” he added. – October 15, 2024