Kuala Lumpur — Malaysia’s top men’s doubles duo Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani are clinging to hopes of a late-season miracle as they battle to qualify for the BWF World Tour Finals 2025 in Hangzhou, China, next month.
Their qualification dreams now rest on two decisive tournaments — the Kumamoto Masters in Japan this week and the Australian Open, scheduled from November 18 to 23. To secure a place among the world’s top eight pairs, Goh and Izzuddin must deliver back-to-back championship wins while relying on their compatriots Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun to falter early.
A Tight Race for Hangzhou
Currently ranked seventh in the BWF World Tour standings with 72,770 points, Goh/Izzuddin are just behind Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun, who sit in third place with 84,350 points. Meanwhile, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, ranked second with 95,320 points, have already booked their tickets to Hangzhou.
With only two pairs per country allowed to qualify, the final Malaysian spot will be a fierce internal battle between Goh/Izzuddin and Man/Tee.
Mathematically, Goh/Izzuddin must win both the Kumamoto Masters and Australian Open while hoping Man/Tee exit in the first round of both events. Even if Goh/Izzuddin claim consecutive titles, Man/Tee would still qualify if they advance beyond the second round in either tournament.
A Season of Ups and Downs
The 2024 season has been a mixed one for Goh and Izzuddin. The world No. 4 duo made history last year by capturing titles at the Japan Open, China Open, and Arctic Open, and finishing as runners-up at the BWF World Tour Finals.
This year, however, inconsistency and injuries have slowed their progress — with their only victory coming at the India Open in January, followed by a runner-up finish at the Japan Open in July.
Meanwhile, Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun, ranked world No. 5, are looking to make their World Tour Finals debut after a string of strong performances. Despite battling a lingering calf injury, Tee Kai Wun confirmed he would take the risk and compete in Japan to keep their qualification hopes alive.
“We’ll play in the Kumamoto Masters because we haven’t officially qualified yet,” Tee explained.
“We’ve collected good points this season, but we still need to play to secure our spot. It’s a risk for me since I’m not fully recovered, but it’s worth taking if it helps us reach the World Tour Finals.”
He added that recent outings in the French Open and Hylo Open gave them confidence to push through the pain barrier.
Showdown in Kumamoto
At the Kumamoto Masters, Goh/Izzuddin are seeded second and will begin their campaign against Korean pair Kang Min Hyuk/Ki Dong Ju, while Man/Tee face Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa/Kyohei Yamashita in the opening round.
If both Malaysian pairs progress, a potential semi-final showdown could decide who carries Malaysia’s final hopes to the season-ending championship in Hangzhou.
With only a few weeks left before the BWF World Tour Finals, the pressure couldn’t be higher. For Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin, it’s a do-or-die mission — one last push to turn a difficult season into a story of redemption and resilience in world badminton.
