'the Daddies' Not About To Hang Up Rackets Yet

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24/05/2023 10:37 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 (Bernama) -- Although age is catching up, Indonesia’s world number six men’s doubles pair Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan are not ready to retire yet.

Mohammad Ahsan, 35, said he and Hendra, also known as ‘The Daddies’, will wait for the right time to announce their retirement.

“Yes, just wait; the time will definitely come,” he told Bernama at the Malaysia Masters 2023 here today.

Mohammad Ahsan said they would try to qualify for the 2024 Olympics in Paris although Indonesia have many good pairs, including world number one Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto and world number nine Leo Rolly Carnando-Daniel Marthin.

The fight for Olympic tickets in the Indonesian camp has become more intense with the return of former world number one Marcus Fernaldi Gideon-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo, and presence of 2022 All England champions Muhammad Shohibul Fikri-Bagas Maulana, as one country can send a maximum of two entries only.

Earlier, Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra booked a place in the second round of Malaysia Masters after defeating Taiwan’s Chiu Hsiang Chieh-Yang Ching Tun 21-18, 21-8 at Axiata Arena.

Tomorrow, Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra will meet another Taiwan pair, Lee Jhe-Huei-Yang Po-Hsuan, who beat Keiichiro Matsui-Yoshinori Takeuchi of Japan 16-21, 21-11, 21-17 in the first round.

Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra won the world title three times, in 2013, 2015 and 2019, and helped Indonesia end an almost two-decade title drought by winning the 2020 Thomas Cup in Aarhus, Denmark.

-- BERNAMA