MATCHMAKER

last month proving to be the final straw.

It is also learnt the 2016 Rio Olympic Games silver medallists have been struggling to keep their partnership alive, citing personal differences as the main factor.

Since the start of the year, the World Super Series Finals champions have failed to clear the quarter-final stage in all competitions.

To add to the speculations, V Shem-Wee Kiong have been withdrawn from the ongoing Korea Open and the Japan Open next week.

Just last week, V Shem came out and spoke about how he is ready to move on, while Wee Kiong travelled to Vietnam to hold talks with national men’s doubles head coach Cheah Soon Kit.

It is still unclear as to who will be their new partners, but word has it that Malaysia Masters runners-up Goh Sze FeiNur Izzuddin Rumsani would be scratched to partner their seniors.

Former internationals Lee Wan Wah and Koo Kien Keat have urged the troubled pair to sort out their issues, but there seems to be no turning back.

It would be interesting to see how BAM will deal with the issue as one of the targets in the 2017-2020 blueprint is to win the Thomas Cup next year.

BAM technical director Morten Frost has made it clear that Malaysia must have at least two top 10 pairs to realise that dream, but with the split imminent, the national team will have to make do with World No 20 Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi.

Apart from reaching the Olympic finals last year and winning the Denmark Open, V Shem-Wee Kiong also won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games (Glasgow) and the bronze medal at the Incheon Asian Games the same year.