Badminton

Peng Soon ready to reap success with new partner Yee See

KUALA LUMPUR: Chan Peng Soon is set to gain from the recent shake-up of the national mixed doubles department.

Peng Soon, 34, can now dream of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics together with his more experienced partner Cheah Yee See.

World No 23 Hoo Pang Ron-Yee See and No 29 Chen Tang Jie-Peck Yen Wei, who both hardly made any impact, were also split.

Pang Ron will now partner with Toh Ee Wei, while Tang Jie has a new partner in Valeree Siow. Yen Wei has been reassigned to play with Choong Hon Jian.

The new pairings will be tested in the Indonesia Masters from June 7-12.

The BA of Malaysia (BAM) hope their new pairs will do well given that the one-year qualifying period for the Paris Olympics starts on May 1 next year.

A nation can have a maximum of two qualifiers in Paris if both are ranked in the top eight at the end of the qualification period.

At the moment, the two highest-ranked pairs in the country are independents Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing (world No 9) and Goh Soon Huat-Lai Pei Jing (world No 14).

All eyes will surely be on the reunion of Peng Soon and Yee See.

If their brief partnership in 2017 is of any indication, they have the potential to be turned into worthy medal contenders in Paris.

In just nine months, Peng Soon-Yee See won the Russia Open and reached three semi-finals (Korea Open, Macau Open and Vietnam Open) en route to being placed at a career-best world No 17.

Peng Soon, who previously partnered with Valeree and Ee Wei, hopes the latest partnership will be made permanent.

"Hopefully, there will be no more changes. It takes a period of time for a pair to gel and flourish, so it's only ideal if we stick to one partner and build on it," said Peng Soon.

"It's great to be back partnering Yee See. We had a great brief spell in 2017 and surely both of us have some unfinished business.

"However, it was five years ago. We have to start all over again. But I am quite excited to see what our reunion will bring us."

The partnership reshuffle did not only take place in the national team as Peng Soon's Rio Olympics silver medal-winning partner Goh Liu Ying also appeared to have ended her brief partnership with Ong Yew Sin.

In what was a surprising development, Liu Ying has registered for the Indonesia Masters with Soong Joo Ven.

Liu Ying will play her fifth and last tournament with Yew Sin at the Thailand Open next month.

Their best outing was reaching the Korea Open quarter-finals last month after receiving walkovers in the opening two rounds.

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