KUALA LUMPUR: Home fans undoubtedly wish to see the national shuttlers clinch Malaysia Open 2024 titles when the current edition kicks off tomorrow until Sunday at the Axiata Arena here.
However, for former men’s doubles champion Tan Boon Heong (pix), the task is not an easy one.
Boon Heong, who won the title in 2007 and 2010 alongside Koo Kien Keat, acknowledged that performing in front of local fans poses a greater challenge for Malaysian players in their pursuit of the titles.
He said that the high expectations placed on the national shuttlers to stand on the podium, coupled with the assumption of having an advantage as the host, the unified support of fans, and players being familiar with the environment, actually adds extra pressure on the players.
“Winning at the Malaysia Open is not easy; only Datuk Lee Chong Wei has won many times. (The) Players must focus on every point, every game. I’ve experienced when we were about to lose, some supporters got angry, asked us to leave, and so on. This is stressful.
“Although not all fans behave this way, a few supporters will act like that. We can’t control all fans, so we need to focus on our performance,“ he said when interviewed at the Axiata Arena here today.
“However, it’s not an excuse; players must be able to handle the pressure. At the same time, I also hope that fans can understand that players are working hard to win, but not everyone can emerge as a champion, only one champion,“ he added.
Boon Heong shared that when he won his first title, he was still a young player who wasn’t afraid of any pressure in proving his abilities.
“I started from the qualifying round that time, just 19 and no fear of facing any players. But after the world ranking increased, then all fans expected us to win and started facing pressure,“ said the gold medallist of the 2006 Asian Games.
Asked about the potential champions, Boon Heong said the competition is currently open, with players at the top of the world rankings, and surprises could come from opponents ranked lower.
For the men’s doubles competition, the 2022 world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, who are third seeded, will face Rasmus Kjaer-Frederik Sogaard from Denmark in the first round, while Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Mohd Rumsani will meet Supak Jomkoh-Kittinupong Kedren from Thailand.
The pair of Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi will challenge Lu Ching Yap-Yang Po Han from Taiwan, while Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun will face a tough challenge against the top-seeded Lian Wei Keng-Wang Chang of China.
Former national men’s singles champion, Chong Wei, is the most successful player in the tournament, winning 12 titles in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2018. The latter marks the last time a local player emerged as the champion. –Bernama