Wei Chong-Kai Wun overcoming hurdles in pursuit of Olympic dream
KUALA LUMPUR: They may not be as decorated as compatriots Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, but Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun have their sights set firmly on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
World No. 7 Wei Chong-Kai Wun know they must outshine their more illustrious teammates to make the cut, with only two pairs per country allowed at the Olympics — provided both are ranked in the top 16.
After winning the Indonesia Open and Malaysia Masters this year, the pair believe their Olympic dream is within reach but consistency remains their biggest hurdle.
"Everyone wants to be an Olympian, and we're no different," said Kai Wun.
"It's still a long way to go, and anything can happen. But we're prepared to fight all the way."
Competition is fierce among Malaysian men's pairs, with world No. 24 Arif Junaidi-Yap Roy King also gunning for a ticket to LA28.
"The rivalry is tight, and we know we must remain consistent," said Kai Wun.
Under the guidance of men's doubles chief Herry IP, Wei Chong-Kai Wun have started to show real progress, clinching their first-ever Super 500 titles.
Their victory at the Malaysia Masters last month was particularly sweet as they defeated Sze Fei-Izzuddin in the quarter-finals and Aaron-Wooi Yik in the final.
They also cleared psychological hurdles by finally getting the better of two long-time nemeses — Japan's Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi (world No. 17) in the Malaysia Masters semis and India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty (India, No. 16) in the Indonesia Open quarters.
"Our first wins over both pairs prove we have the ability," said Kai Wun.
"We just lack consistency."
The duo are now focused on the Japan Open (July 15-20) and China Open (July 22-27).
"We've never won a Super 750 or Super 1000 title," added Kai Wun.
"That's what we'll be aiming for next."
They reached the quarter-finals in both tournaments last year and will hope to go even further this time.
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