Orleans: Malaysia’s World No. 40 Choong Hon Jian/Muhammad Haikal emerged victorious at the 2024 Orleans Masters on Sunday, defeating Indonesia’s World No. 49 Sabar Karyaman Gutama/Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani 21-15, 18-21, 21-14 in 44 minutes.
This win will mark the first title for the pair and plays as a new game-changer in who may be selected for the Malaysian roster for the upcoming Thomas Cup.
Complete Match of Choong Hon Jian/Muhammad Haikal vs. Sabar Karyaman Gutama/Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani in the 2024 Orleans Masters Final:
Coming into the tournament, Choong and Haikal had their eyes set on the championship title just so they could prove themselves worthy of selection to be part of the Malaysian team for the prestigious Thomas Cup, which will be hosted in Chengdu, China from 28 April to 5 May 2024.
Haikal even told Malaysian media in late February:
“”So far preparations are on track and the draw is not bad to win the title in Orleans. To show that we deserve to be in the Thomas Cup squad, we have to prove ourselves by winning in Orleans.”
Their determination was evident throughout the competition, with impressive wins over fellow Malaysians Lwi Sheng Hao and Jimmy Wong in the first round, followed by triumphs over World No. 69 William Kryger Boe and Christian Faust Kjær in the second round, then Huang Di and Liu Yi in the quarter-finals and World No. 46 Andreas Søndergaard/Jesper Toft in the semi-final.
And with this victory comes a huge boost in confidence to Haikal and his partner, serving as a substantial indication of their potential for the Thomas Cup.
However, beyond anything else, the achievement of Choong and Haikal at the Orleans has injected a new wave of optimism into the Malaysian national team’s Thomas Cup campaign. With another title under the team’s belt, hopefully they can maintain their winning momentum and strengthen the Thomas Cup team to become competitors and potential champions.
