ETALING JAYA: The doubles combinations of Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah and Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong are among the world’s top five ranked pairs in the Olympic competition but they are the ones who have yet to win a title this year.
And coach Rexy Mainaky (pic) is looking at the two pairs rising to the occasion at the Beijing Games next month.
The best results this year for Tan Fook-Wan Wah, who are ranked fourth ahead of Kien Keat-Boon Heong, were at the All-England and Swiss Open in which they made it to the semi-finals.
World number one Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan (Indonesia), Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun (China) and Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung (South Korea) shared the spoils in the first four Super Series tournaments before the Olympic qualifying deadline at the end of April.
Markis-Hendra bagged the season-opening Malaysian Open while Haifeng-Cai Yun came out tops in the Korean Open. Yong-dae-Jae-sung sent out an early warning of their Olympic aspirations when they bagged the All-England and Swiss Open titles and went on to emerge as winners in the Asian Championships.
Haifeng-Cai Yun were also winners in the recent Thailand Open.
For Kien Keat-Boon Heong, their best this year was a semi-final appearance in the Asian Championships in Johor Baru in April.
Based on current results, it does not look good for the Malaysian pairs in the Beijing Games.
“But I would put them as medal contenders. They have realistic chances and we will get a clearer picture after the draw,” said Rexy.
The draw has been brought forward to July 26 from Aug 4 to accommodate television scheduling.
While the pairs ranked above the Malaysians look to be the stronger contenders on paper, Rexy felt it would be different this time.
“Top seeded pairs were winners in previous Olympics but the script will be different this time. No one pair have been consistent enough,” he said.
“The Koreans looked good at the All-England and Swiss Open but they lost to Danish veterans Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen in the Thomas Cup Finals in Jakarta.
“We do not know their current form yet because they opted to train at home after that. It will be the first Olympics for the Koreans and it remains to be seen how they cope under pressure as one of the favourites after having won three titles this year.
“As for the Indonesians, they may be the top seeds for the Olympics but they are not invincible and it’s the same for the Chinese pair.”
Markis-Hendra were beaten by 2000 Sydney Olympic champions Candra Wijaya-Tony Gunawan in the quarter-finals of the Indonesian Open last month.
In the last Olympics in Athens, Malaysia were represented in the men’s doubles by Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng and Tan Fook-Wan Wah.
Chong Ming-Choon Eng were second round casualties while Tan Fook-Wan Wah were beaten in the quarter-finals by eventual silver medallists Lee Dong-soo-Yoo Yong-sung of South Korea.
Malaysia have two medals to show from the Olympic men’s doubles badminton – bronze from Razif-Jalani Sidek in 1992 (Barcelona) and silver from Cheah Soon Kit-Yap Kim Hock in 1996 (Atlanta).
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