Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia’s national mixed doubles coach Nova Widianto is keeping expectations in check for world No. 14 pair Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin ahead of the 2025 Badminton Asia Championships (BAC), scheduled from April 8 to 13 in Ningbo, China.
Widianto believes placing a high target on the pair could add unnecessary pressure, especially as they are set to face India’s Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto in a tough first-round clash.
“We’ve previously set high goals for Pang Ron–Su Yin, but the results weren’t encouraging. We’re trying a different approach now—less pressure. Facing the Indian pair in the opener won’t be easy. We’ve played them before, and it was challenging,” Widianto told reporters recently.
Still Finding Their Rhythm in 2025
Since the beginning of this year, Hoo Pang Ron–Cheng Su Yin have yet to hit peak form.
“They haven’t shown their best yet in 2025. We hope they can improve and play with more consistency. Hopefully at BAC, they’ll step up,” Widianto added.
The Malaysian pair, however, hold a slight psychological edge, having defeated the Indian duo at the Indonesia Masters earlier this year.
Experience vs Debut
For Hoo Pang Ron, this will be his second appearance at BAC, having last played three years ago in the Philippines with Cheah Yee See. It will be Cheng Su Yin’s BAC debut, adding another layer of intrigue to their campaign.
Besides Hoo Pang Ron–Cheng Su Yin, Malaysia will also field three other mixed doubles pairs:
Goh Soon Huat / Shevon Jemie Lai (Independent pair)
Wong Tien Ci / Lim Chiew Sien
Yap Roy King / Valeree Siow
With seasoned and rising pairs in the lineup, Malaysia is hoping for a strong showing in the mixed doubles category.
Stay tuned to BadmintonPlanet.com for all the latest badminton news and full coverage of the 2025 Badminton Asia Championships.
