MALAYSIA'S top women's doubles pair Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui yesterday vowed to battle on and qualify for the Beijing Olympics despite the departure of their coach Cheah Soon Kit. Soon Kit quit the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) to join Kuala Lumpur Racket Club last month in a move the BAM described as a "surprise".
Pei Tty said they did not expect the coach to quit his job with BAM.
"Nevertheless, we'll fight on," Pei Tty said.
The World No 11 pair, who are preparing for the 2008 Malaysia Open at Putra Stadium which starts on Thursday, is now training with the men's doubles coach Rexy Mainaky.
Under Soon Kit, Pei Tty-Eei Hui achieved significant success including winning gold in the Manila Sea Games in 2005 and the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
They also beat China's World No 1 pair Zhang Yawen-Wei Yili in the first round of the Denmark Open last October.
"I had just resumed training after the Korat Sea Games when Soon Kit told me he was leaving," said Pei Tty, who added that 2008 is an important year for them as there were two major tournaments ahead – the Thomas Cup finals in Jakarta in May and the Beijing Olympics in August.
"For the first two Super Series of the 2008, the Malaysia and Korean Opens, I am not expecting much as my partner Eei Hui is still recovering from a back injury sustained in the China Open last year.
"We'll use first two tournaments to get use to the new coaching methods," she added.
Pei Tty said the coaching techniques of Soon Kit and Rexy are not the same.
"Rexy is more focus on shuttlers' footwork on the court," she disclosed. – Bernama
