Mohd Arif Abdul Latif has admitted he is left far behind if compared to other junior athletes who have made it to the highest level of badminton.
The independent shuttler was on par with current world no. 1 Chen Long of China when they both started initially, but things have changed since.
Chen Long has grown into one of the world’s feared shuttler with two world championships in his kit, while Arif is still struggling to fulfill his potential.
“He was on the same level as me, but now he is world champion. I realize my standards have dropped, but I’m still working on improving my performances to reach the same height as them.”
“I always have loved the challenge in this sport. I will continue working hard even when the road seems tough,” he told Sinar Harian.
The former Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) shuttler also said that Rashid Sidek’s presence as head coach of Sports Affairs Badminton Academy will be a plus point, as Rashid comes up with plans to boost his chances of playing in 2016 Rio Olympics.
“My confidence level has increased after undergoing the new programme under Rashid; hopefully I will manage to qualify for next year’s Olympics.”
Arif currently stands in 69th position in the world rankings, with only two players qualified to represent the country in Rio. Both players must be in the 16 top players before May next year.
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