Bin Shen: Men’s pairs need to start preparing for Olympics qualification
Tan Bin Shen, head coach of the national men’s doubles team, wants the team to immediately start preparing for the Paris Olympics in 2024, although qualifying will not begin until May of the same year.
Olympic qualifying for both pairs is Bin Shen’s next big goal after helping national number one Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik win the historic world title last month in Tokyo, where he worked with Doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky.
Before the end of the Olympic qualifiers, there must be two pairs ranked in the top 8 in the world for this dream to come true. Only Aaron-Wooi Yik currently holds the top 8 spot after their win in Tokyo moved them up to 5th in the world rankings.
Closely following them are independent couples Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi, Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, and Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun. Bin Shen has now made the decision to help Sze Fei-Izzuddin and Wei Chong-Kai Wun make the top 8.
“Our goal is to ensure that two pairs qualify for the Olympics. The qualification period starts next May but the players need to start preparing now to be in the best position when it starts,” declared Bin Shen.
Furthermore, Bin Shen hopes Sze Fei and Izzuddin can regain the form that helped them win the German Open and advance to the Swiss Open final in March. The duo then reached the semi-finals of the Malaysian Open in July and the Asian Championships in May, but they haven’t been able to maintain their form since.
“Sze Fei and Izzuddin need to stay positive and keep encouraging each other. Aaron and Wooi Yik struggled a lot and never gave up. With that, he managed to carry on and win the world title.
“So, I believe that Sze Fei and Izzuddin can learn from this and come good,” encouraged by Bin Shen.
No matter how many times you fall, as long as you don’t give up and keep trying, you will eventually reach the top, as Aaron and Wooi Yik have proven. It also shows us how affectionately Bin Shen looks at Sze Fei and Izzuddin.
