It ain’t two much
Justin will not drop doubles in pursuit of singles life
PETALING JAYA: Justin Hoh still harbour hopes of making a name for himself in the doubles.
The 16-year-old said he will not give up completely on the event despite focusing on a singles career from next year.
Justin is certainly on the right path when he claimed the No. 1 status from 18-year-old Jacky Kok at the 100PLUS Junior Ranking Challenge recently.
Justin is also formidable in the doubles where he forms a solid partnership with Mohd Fazriq Razif and are ranked 12th in the world.
Their combination could also be the answer to Malaysia’s lack of options in the boys’ doubles department as top-ranked Wan Arif Wan JunaidiMohd Haikal Nazri will be ineligible for junior events next year.
Justin said he will be available if the Badminton Association of Malaysia paired him with Fazriq for major tournaments such as the Asian Junior Championships (AJC) and World Junior Championships (WJC) next year.
“However, my focus will be more on singles from next year. But that doesn’t mean I will shun doubles duty,” said Justin.
“Fazriq and I have achieved some good results over the years, so the probability is that we might get to play at the AJC or WJC.
“Still, we need to prove ourselves because only two best pairs get to play.”
Justin-Fazriq have four international titles to their names – winning the Under-15 category at the Singapore Junior International Series, Asian Junior Championships, Jakarta Junior International Open in 2018 – with their best achievement winning the Under-19 Bangladesh International Series last December.
They started their partnership in 2015 when they represented Kuala Lumpur in the national junior scene, winning a number of titles, including the National School Sports Council (MSSM).
“We go a long way back, I remember the first title we won. It was the Under-12 title at MSSM when were 10,” said Justin.
“We know each other’s game so well that I don’t think we can produce the same kind of performance if we were to partner someone else.
“That’s probably the reason why we’re still able to perform although we hardly train together.”