Independent doubles shuttler Tan Wee Kiong is heartbroken following the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM)’s decision to leave him and his partner Goh V Shem out of the Asia Team Championships.

Wee Kiong feels BAM should have at least given them a spot as they are the world No. 12 pair and scrambling to earn points in the race to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Instead, BAM named three other pairs – Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (world No 8), Teo Ee Yi-Ong Yew Sin (20) and Goh Sze Fei-Mohd Izzuddin Rumsani (25) – for the meet from Feb 11-16 in Manila, the Philippines.

The tournament serves as the qualifier for the Thomas-Uber Cup Finals from May 16-24 in Aarhus, Denmark, and also offers valuable ranking points for the Tokyo Games.

The selection of Ee Yi-Yew Sin came as a surprise as they had been dropped by BAM only three weeks ago.

Wee Kiong felt they would have a better chance of qualifying for the Olympics as the second pair for Malaysia.

A country can have two pairs in the Games if both are in the top eight of the world standings at the end of the one-year Olympic qualification on April 30.

If all falls into place, V Shem-Wee Kiong can join Aaron-Wooi Yik in Tokyo.

“They did not call us up to play at last year’s Sudirman Cup. We understood then because Ee Yi-Yew Sin were still under BAM.

“Now, all are independent players but we are still left out although we are ranked higher than Ee Yi-Yew Sin.

“I just find it weird and unfair that they did not call us. A chance to play at the Asia team meet would have done us a world of good. Unfortunately, we are not going.” It is however, not too late for V Shem-Wee Kiong as BAM can still change their line-up as the closing date for the Asian meet is tomorrow.

On Saturday, Wee Kiong-V Shem’s hopes of winning more Olympic points were dashed when they crashed out 15-21,11-21 to China’s Huang Kaixiang-Cheng in the quarter-finals of the Thailand Masters in Bangkok.

The duo, who won the silver medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in 2016, will next compete at the All-England from March 11-15 in Birmingham.