KUALA LUMPUR – National men’s doubles player Muhammad Haikal Nazri is ready to shoulder the responsibility of representing the country at the coming Thomas Cup, but hopes he will not be called upon to play in the singles.
The Thomas and Uber Cup is scheduled to be held in Chengdu, China, from April 27 to May 5.
In the final round of the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) in February, Haikal was listed as the third singles player in the men’s final, which Malaysia eventually lost to China 3-0.
“I am ready to shoulder the responsibility of playing for the country in the Thomas Cup, I hope I don’t have to play singles like in the BATC,” he said when met at Akademi Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara today.
Haikal and partner Choong Hon Jian formed their partnership in August and have steadily risen, winning their first titles at the Syed Modi International and Guwahati Masters in December.
They are now ranked 28th in the world and were chosen ahead of higher-ranked pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun for February’s BATC squad.
The duo’s most recent win was at the Orleans Masters in France last month.
“If chosen to represent the country at the Thomas Cup, I am ready, but the squad has not been announced yet, so we have to wait.
“I believe we have done enough to impress our coaches to be selected. But we still have a few things that we need to improve (upon) – like our loss at the Swiss Open to the pair we beat in the Orleans final the week before.
“I learned a lot from that defeat, mentally and preparation-wise, we need to realise that people are studying our game now, so we need to account for that beforehand,” Haikal told reporters when met at Akademi Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara today.
Their current ranking in the top 30 allows them to participate in tournaments at the Super 500 level and above.
“I don’t feel nervous playing in higher-level tournaments. I know we’ve not been in the top 30 long.
“I’m actually excited to join these bigger tournaments and aim for higher-level titles.
“The bigger the tournament, the greater my motivation to win,” he added.
Haikal said that he and Hon Jian were now focused on breaking into the top 20 but acknowledged that maintaining consistency would pose a challenge.
“Form fluctuations are natural in sports, and I am aware of that. I remain vigilant and hope to bounce back quickly from any setbacks,” he said.
Haikal plans to return home to Pasir Mas, Kelantan, on Tuesday to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri before resuming training. – April 5, 2024