Men’s doubles badminton player Kang Khai Xing enters a new partnership with Lok Hong Quan at the Malaysia Super 100 in Iskandar Puteri, following coaching decisions that dissolved his previous pairings with Aaron Tai and Wan Arif Wan Junaidi.
Malaysia Super 100 Debut in Iskandar Puteri
Kang and Lok will make their first appearance together at the Malaysia Super 100 tournament, which opens next Tuesday in Iskandar Puteri. The event marks an immediate test for the newly formed pair as they step onto the court together for the first time.
Ahead of the tournament, Kang has spent the past two to three weeks concentrating heavily on his physical condition, speed and power on court. He noted that his training focus has yielded noticeable personal gains in physical readiness compared to before.
Coaching Changes Follow Junior World Title Success
Kang previously partnered with Aaron Tai, with whom he secured the 2024 world junior title. However, coaching staff opted to split the pair after identifying a clear difference between them in terms of speed and performance. Reflecting on the separation, Kang acknowledged initial disappointment, particularly because he and Aaron had recently broken into the top 20.
Of course I was a little sad because we had only just broken into the top 20, and it is not easy to get there,
Kang said. But I have put that behind me now and I just want to focus on myself.
Struggles Following the First Split
Following the dissolution of his pairing with Aaron, Kang was teamed with Wan Arif Wan Junaidi at the end of July. That partnership struggled to gain traction on the international circuit, failing to advance past the first round in all four tournaments they played together.
The duo suffered opening-match exits at the China Open, Taiwan Open, Korean Masters, and China Masters. With the partnership not producing the results they had hoped for, coaches restructured the combinations once more, leading to the current pairing with Lok Hong Quan.
Kang Tests Training Progress in Upcoming Tournament
Kang remains pragmatic about what the new partnership can achieve as they head into competition next week. While he feels his speed and power have improved during recent training blocks, he acknowledged that tournament conditions will provide the true measure of their progress.
So far, I feel I have improved compared to before. We will see how it goes in the tournament,
Kang said.
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