UP-AND-COMING men's pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun could turn out to be Malaysia's secret weapon at the Asia Team Championships in Shah Alam on Feb 15-20.
The World 45 have been quietly winning titles since last year, and many top pairs are unaware of their strength.
Last year, they won three lower-tier events — the Polish Open, Spanish International and the Irish Open whilst also finishing runners-up at the Czech Open and Welsh International.
Last month, Wei Chong-Kai Wun also claimed the Syed Modi International for their first Super 300 crown.
That picture of consistency is the reason why Wei Chong-Kai Wun have been given the nod as the third pair in the Malaysian men's team after Olympic bronze medallists Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and world No 17 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani.
This is despite the fact that independent pair and world No 11 Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi were available for selection.
BA of Malaysia (BAM) doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky explained that this was done to give Wei Chong-Kai Wun some exposure for the future.
"Wei Chong-Kai Wun have been very consistent since last year, and they are also young with a lot of potential," said Rexy.
"We have a few pairs that have been playing well but the Asian teams will be a good experience for them. However, I want to stress that this lineup will not be the final selection for the Thomas Cup Finals.
"It is also not about being biased in choosing BAM players only as we are selecting the young ones, who have a good future so that they have a platform to prove themselves.
"This means that between now until the Thomas Cup, if any pair's performance drops, they may lose their place in the team.
"We are doing this because we need to look ahead and prepare for the future, instead of just looking at one tournament.
"It's the same in Indonesia, where they have many young pairs. However, the difference is that many of those young players are already seasoned players in team events," added Rexy.
It can certainly be seen as a good move, especially with most of the Asian powerhouses unlikely to send their full team for the event.
For the Malaysian men, the target is to qualify for the semi-finals.
World No 7 Lee Zii Jia, Ng Tze Yong, Leong Jun Hao, Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin, Lim Chong King and Jacky Kok make up the team.