KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 — National men’s doubles player Wan Arif Wan Junaidi has set an ambitious target of securing a podium finish at the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) in Ningbo, China, from April 7 to 12.
Wan Arif said he and his partner Yap Roy King need to improve their consistency, particularly in handling crucial moments when chasing key points, to ensure they can progress further at the tournament, which will be held at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Centre.
“We are targeting a podium finish or at least a place in the quarter-finals, as we have yet to reach that stage this year. We also hope to upset some of the top 10 pairs,” he told reporters after a training session here today.
The world No.16 pair last reached the quarter-finals at the Kumamoto Masters Japan in November last year.
Their most recent title came at the Macau Open in August last year, where they defeated Indonesia’s Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani, 22-20, 21-18.
Wan Arif also said he is not focusing on the race for a spot in the 2026 Thomas Cup in Horsens, Denmark, scheduled from April 24 to May 3.
“We don’t want to think too much about that. If we overthink it, it will affect our performance. For now, we are focused on our goal at the BAC,” he said.
He added that he feels refreshed after returning from a short Aidilfitri break spent with his family in Terengganu. — Bernama
