KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 — National men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi has hinted that Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King may not be in his plans for the 2026 Thomas Cup Finals in Horsens, Denmark, from April 24 to May 3.
This, he said, is because the world number 16 pair are still inconsistent, particularly in handling crucial situations during matches.
“Like at the ongoing Badminton Asia Championships (in Ningbo, China)… at crucial points at 18 and 19, they keep making so many mistakes.
“We can try them out (at the Thomas Cup), but perhaps other pairs may be more prepared. So, for now, they are not in the list,” he told the media at Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) today.
Herry, however, stressed that the final decision on player selection will be determined by the management team after further discussions with the coaches, including ABM doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky.
At the Badminton Asia Championships, Wan Arif-Roy King crashed out in the first round after losing 17-21, 21-17, 20-22 to Taiwan’s Lee Fang Chih-Lee Fang Jen on Wednesday (April 8). — Bernama
