KUALA LUMPUR: The 2022 men's doubles world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik have a great potential to win gold at the Paris Olympics if they overcome the semifinal hurdle, said Malaysian badminton legend Datuk Razif Sidek.
He said that a semifinal victory would provide valuable momentum for the 2020 Olympics bronze medallists, enabling them to compete in the final with greater confidence and potentially achieve a historic victory for Malaysia at the world's biggest sporting event.
"In my view, they (Aaron-Wooi Yik) are the sole pair who can bring a medal for the country.
"I see their path to the quarter-finals without any issues. If there are no obstacles, I think they (Aaron-Wooi Yik) can bring back the gold, but it all depends on the semi-finals," he told Bernama today.
Razif, who made history as the first national shuttler to win an Olympic medal, securing bronze with his brother Datuk Seri Jalani Sidek at the 1992 Barcelona Games, said that good fitness levels will also be crucial for Aaron-Wooi Yik's progress in Paris 2024.
"In terms of gameplay, I don't see any problem; their only drawback is fitness. If they can maintain good fitness, their confidence level would be very high," he said.
Razif identified three other pairs as Aaron-Wooi Yik's main challengers in Paris 2024, namely top seeds from China, Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang, world number three pair from India, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, and world number seven pair from Indonesia, Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto.
He said the competition for the gold medal at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena, starting this Saturday until Aug 5, would be more exciting if all four pairs advance to the semifinals.
The 62-year-old former player added that Aaron-Wooi Yik have a good chance to overcome these three challengers, given that the 2023 Denmark Open champions have previously defeated them.
According to past records, the world number four pair have won only twice in eight encounters against Wei Keng-Wang Chang, won eight out of 11 matches against Satwiksairaj-Chirag, and have an even record against Fajar-Muhammad Rian, with each pair securing four wins out of eight matches.
Based on the draw for the 2024 Olympics, Aaron-Wooi Yik are placed in Group A alongside Wei Keng-Chang, Ben Lane-Sean Vendy from England, and Canadian pair Adam Dong-Nyl Yakura.
Only the group winners and runners-up will qualify for the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Razif praised the strategy implemented by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) for the national badminton players, describing it as the best compared to any previous tournaments or sports events.
Among the initiatives undertaken by BAM are conducting simulation matches and modifying one of the courts at Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara to create an atmosphere similar to the Paris 2024 competition.
BAM also organised a final phase training camp for a week in Lille, about 219 kilometres from Paris, last week before the team entered the Olympic village in the French capital on Monday.
Also carrying Malaysia's challenge in badminton at the Olympics this time are the top women's doubles pair, Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, the country's number one mixed doubles pair, Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, and two professional singles players, Lee Zii Jia (men's) and Goh Jin Wei (women's).
The 2024 Olympics will officially open this Friday and end on August 11.