Sze Fei-Izzuddin set sights on Asian Games gold

KUALA LUMPUR - Badminton duo Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani hope to secure Malaysia's first-ever men's doubles gold at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya from September 19 to October 4. Ranked sixth in the world, Sze Fei-Izzuddin has been on a strong run, winning the Super 1000 Indonesia Open and Super 500 Indonesia Masters this year.

The pair also reached the quarter-finals at the World Championships in New Delhi last month and have already defeated South Korea's gold medal favourite Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae. Despite a recent walkover loss at the China Masters, Sze Fei declared they are both physically and mentally prepared for the challenge in Japan. They will face tough competitors, including defending champions and world No. 5 Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty of India, newly crowned world champions Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang, and Indonesia's world No. 2 Fajar Alfian-Shohibul Fikri.

Izzuddin believes that a six-gold target for Malaysia at the Asian Games is both achievable and realistic. If Sze Fei-Izzuddin perform at their best, they could make history by winning the first men's doubles gold for Malaysia at the Asian Games since Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong in 2006.