Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia’s mixed doubles specialist Chan Peng Soon admitted Malaysian shuttlers spearheaded by Lee Chong Wei in the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, gave the country a solid chance of winning the mixed team gold.
“In addition to Chong Wei in the men’s singles, we also have Goh V Shem/Tan Wee Kiong in men’s doubles and Goh Liu Ying and myself in the mixed doubles,” said Chan Peng Soon who will kick of the 2018 season with Goh Liu Ying at the Thailand Masters next week.
“Obviously, the 18-year-old Goh Jin Wei is also a dark horse player hoping for breakthrough against Indian shuttlers such as Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu in Gold Coast,” added Chan.
“Overall, we have a well-balanced team. All players in the Commonwealth squad have responsibilities to play for gold in their respective discipline.”
“For now, we have to focus in the mixed team event first, because it’s going to be the first event we will compete in.”
Last Thursday, the president of Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) Mohamad Norza Zakaria has set a target of winning 3 golds in the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Also part of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth squad are the women’s doubles pair Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei who also won the Commonwealth Games gold four years ago in Glasgow, Scotland.
Meanwhile, Chan Peng Soon also stressed that his partnership with Goh Liu Ying has been improving ahead of the Thailand Masters next week.
“So far, Liu Ying is 80% to 90% recovered and she plays very well in training. I do not think it’s a problem for us to play together after almost six-months apart.”
“My partnership with Liu Ying is still solid as we have been playing together for almost nine years,” said the Penang-born player.
