Malaysian men's singles shuttler Cheam June Wei wants to replicate his form shown at the Asia Team Championships, pinning for an internal tournament to happen in order for him to prove his worth again.
At the team event in Philippines in February, Cheam produced the form of his life to beat the much higher ranked Jonatan Christie, Kenta Nishimoto and Son Wan-ho to inspire Malaysia to a final showdown against Indonesia.
Now with training resumed in full and Thomas Cup selections due to take place soon, the world number 74 revealed his desire to come out on top among his peers.
“We are hearing that there will be an internal tournament happening soon, so my aim now is to prepare for that. I want that tournament feeling again. Training session sparring are not as intense and there is no pressure,” Cheam said.
With independent shuttlers like Soong Joo Ven and Liew Daren also back in the fray, Cheam said the men’s singles competition should be a highly charged affair.
“It’s good to have them back, in a way it helps us improve our form. The intensity training with them is higher, especially when it comes to their shot power,” he said.
National coaching director Wong Choong Hann also confirmed that the internal meet will be held sometime in mid-August.
“We want this tournament to help build the players' temperament and increase their competitiveness. The tournament will most likely be an individual event, and we are also planning to offer a small token to the winners,” he said.
The men’s singles affair will be competitive with world number 10 Lee Zii Jia, Cheam, Leong Jun Hao, Liew, Soong and promising youngsters Lim Chong King and Aidil Sholeh all vying for glory before the international season resumes in September.