V Shem, Wee Kiong pull out as Malaysia name Thomas, Uber Cup squads

Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong were the big name omissions from the 20-strong Malaysia squad named for next month's Thomas & Uber Cup in Aarhus, Denmark, as the duo missed out due to personal reasons.

The pair, one of the stars at the 2014 edition when Malaysia made the final, pulled out due to the latest additions in their family.

Goh welcomed his new baby girl only a month ago, while Tan is expecting his firstborn sometime next month.

“It was not an easy decision to make. Both Wee Kiong and I discussed it and came to a conclusion that we have to stay back for our families.

“Given the current Covid-19 situation, it is just too risky for us to travel. We want to represent the country, we really do, but circumstances are such,” Goh told New Straits Times.

Despite the 2016 Olympic silver medalists' absence, Malaysia still put out decent teams for both events.

World number 10 Lee Zii Jia leads the charge in the men’s singles, with Liew Daren, Cheam June Wei and Leong Jun Hao in the fray, while NJg Tze Yong, who won the first division internal meet recently, was surprisingly left out.

The men’s doubles are made up of Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin.

As for the Uber Cup, Soniia Cheah, S. Kisona, Goh Jin Wei and Eoon Qi Xuan make up the women’s singles, while Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean, Vivian Hoo-Yap Cheng Wen and Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah form the doubles squad.

The Thomas Cuppers are in Group A with 13-time champions Indonesia, Netherlands and England.

The Uber Cup team meanwhile are housed with Indonesia, South Korea and Australia.

The national body have set a semi-final target for the men’s team and quarter-finals for the women’s side at this year’s edition.

At the last affair, Malaysia fell 3-1 to Indonesia in the Thomas Cup last eight, while the women did not make it out of their group.

THOMAS CUP SQUAD

Men’s Singles

Lee Zii Jia, Liew Daren, Cheam June Wei, Leong Jun Hao

Men’s Doubles

Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin

UBER CUP SQUAD

Women’s Singles

Soniia Cheah, S. Kisona, Goh Jin Wei, Eoon Qi Xuan

Women’s Doubles

Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean, Vivian Hoo-Yap Cheng Wen, Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah