Kuala lumpur: National men's doubles shuttler Man Wei Chong remains doubtful for the 2026 Malaysia Masters from May 19 to 24 as he continues recovering from a knee injury. National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky stated that a decision on Wei Chong's participation will be contingent on the player's recovery progress.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the uncertainty also extends to Wei Chong's participation in the 2026 Singapore Open from May 26 to 31. Rexy Mainaky emphasized the importance of monitoring Wei Chong's recovery over the coming weeks to assess his fitness for the tournaments. If full recovery is not achieved by the Malaysia Masters, the team may also decide to skip the Singapore Open.
Rexy acknowledged that injuries are a common risk in competitive sports, but he believes players need full confidence from the coaching team and medical officers before returning to compete at their best level. The monitoring of Wei Chong's injury has been fully entrusted to the team's doctors and physiotherapists, who will make a final decision on the player's status ahead of the tournament.
Wei Chong, alongside Tee Kai Wun, won the Malaysia Masters title last year by defeating fellow Malaysians and 2022 world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik in the final. Rexy hopes the national men's doubles pairs will once again deliver a commendable performance on home ground through both the senior and back-up pairs set to compete in the tournament.
As for mixed doubles, Rexy noted that expectations will naturally be on the country's top pair, Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, while he is also keen to observe the potential of the new pairing of Jimmy Wong-Cheng Su Yin. Rexy expressed the hope that last year's achievements could be repeated, such as having an all-Malaysian final in the men's doubles category. He stressed the importance of not relying solely on key players and expressed a desire to see other players demonstrate their capabilities in major tournaments. Playing on home ground should serve as motivation for them to prove their competitive skills beyond training sessions.