Men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani have made headlines with their recent victory at the China Open. This win marks a promising start for their independent careers.
Ranked No. 12 in the world, Sze Fei and Izzuddin decided to leave the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) earlier this month to pursue their careers independently. In just their second tournament as independent players, they secured their first World Tour Super 1000 title.
In the final held in Changzhou on Sunday, they triumphed over the world No. 7 pair of He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu with scores of 13-21, 21-12, and 21-17. Xiangyu struggled with a lower back injury during the match.
Teo Kok Siang, a former international and the duo’s coach, expressed pride in their achievement. He encouraged them to stay focused and ambitious. “Hats off to Sze Fei and Izzuddin for winning their first Super 1000 title,” Kok Siang said. “They handled the pressure well against Jiting and Xiangyu on their home ground, which is not easy. I hope they remain humble, train hard, and aim to become the best.”
If Sze Fei and Izzuddin continue their strong performance, they could create healthy competition among national pairs, benefiting the sport in Malaysia. Other players under the guidance of coaches Rosman Razak and Teo Kok Siang include world No. 23 Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi, who reached the semifinals in China.
The BAM pairs currently ranked in the top 20 include Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik at No. 5, Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun at No. 13, and Mohd Haikal Nazri and Choong Hon Jian at No. 18.
Sze Fei and Izzuddin have shown consistent improvement this year, finishing as runners-up at the Asian Championships in April and winning their first Super 750 title at the Japan Open last month. They are now on track to qualify for the prestigious World Tour Finals, which will take place from December 11-15 in Hangzhou.
Next, Sze Fei and Izzuddin will compete at the Arctic Open in Finland from October 8-13, followed by the Denmark Open in Odense from October 15-20.
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