Muhammad Haikal

Muhammad Haikal
Personal information
BornMuhammad Haikal bin Nazri
(2002-12-26) 26 December 2002 (age 23)
Kelantan, Malaysia
Height1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)
Sport
CountryMalaysia
SportBadminton
HandednessLeft
Men's doubles
Highest ranking18 (with Choong Hon Jian, 17 September 2024)
38 (with Junaidi Arif, 6 December 2022)
Current ranking37 (with Choong Hon Jian, 7 July 2026)
BWF profile
Medal record
Men's badminton
Representing  Malaysia
Thomas Cup
Bronze medal – third place2024 ChengduMen's team
Asia Team Championships
Silver medal – second place2024 SelangorMen's team
SEA Games
Silver medal – second place2021 VietnamMen's team

Muhammad Haikal bin Nazri (born 26 December 2002) is a Malaysian badminton player. A Thomas Cup bronze medalist, Asian team championship silver medalist and SEA Games men's team silver medalist, he was part of the Malaysian men's teams that won bronze at the 2024 Thomas Cup, silver at the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships and silver at the 2021 SEA Games. A three-time BWF World Tour men's doubles champion, he won the 2023 Syed Modi International, 2023 Guwahati Masters and 2024 Orléans Masters alongside his former partner Choong Hon Jian. Together, they reached a career-high men's doubles world ranking of number 18 on 17 September 2024.

Haikal and Choong won their first BWF World Tour title at the 2023 Syed Modi International, a Super 300 tournament, defeating Japan's Akira Koga and Taichi Saito in the final. They subsequently won the 2023 Guwahati Masters, a Super 100 tournament, before capturing the 2024 Orléans Masters, their third BWF World Tour title together. Their Orléans Masters victory was achieved against Indonesia's Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Muhammad Reza Pahlevi Isfahani in the final.

Earlier in his career, Haikal partnered Junaidi Arif to win the men's doubles titles at the 2021 Austrian Open, Hellas International and Ukraine International. Together, they finished runners-up at the 2022 Orléans Masters, where they were forced to concede a walkover in the final after Haikal tested positive for COVID-19. He later partnered Nur Izzuddin to win the 2022 Malaysia International and reached the final of the 2023 Ruichang China Masters before forming a partnership with Choong.

Following a restructuring of Malaysia's national men's doubles partnerships in 2026, Haikal and Choong separated after almost three years together. Haikal subsequently formed a new partnership with Bryan Jeremy Goonting, while Choong partnered Wong Vin Sean.

Career

2021

Partnered with Junaidi Arif, they won the 2021 Austrian Open, Hellas International, and Ukraine International. The duo also finished runners-up at the Latvia International and Scottish Open.

2022

In January, Haikal and Arif competed at the Syed Modi International tournament. In April, they competed at the Orléans Masters but were forced to concede a walkover to Dutch pair Ruben Jille and Ties van der Lecq in the final after Haikal was tested positive for COVID-19. In May, he competed at the SEA Games, and won the silver medal in the men's team event.

A few months later, Haikal and Arif reached the quarter-finals of the Malaysia Masters. In December, he captured the Malaysia International title partnered with Nur Izzuddin.

2023

Following a reshuffle in the national men's doubles department in February, Haikal began partnering Izzuddin, thus ending his three-year partnership with Arif. In March, the new pair reached the final of Ruichang China Masters, but went down to the home pair of Chen Boyang and Liu Yi in rubber game.

In June, Haikal and Izzuddin's partnership were dissolved after Izzuddin reunited with his former partner Goh Sze Fei. In August, Haikal began partnering Choong Hon Jian.

In October, he and Choong entered the final of Indonesia Masters II and finished as the runners-up. In December, the duo competed at the Syed Modi International. En route to their first BWF World Tour title, they defeated the second and top seeds in the semi-finals and final, respectively. The following week, they won another title at the Guwahati Masters.

2024

In late January, he was chosen to represent Malaysia's men's team at the 2024 Asia Team Championships. In March, he and Choong clinched their third title at the Orléans Masters.

Achievement

BWF World Tour (3 titles, 3 runners-up)

The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018, is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF World Tours are divided into levels of World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300, and the BWF Tour Super 100.

Men's doubles

Year Tournament Level Partner Opponent Score Result Ref
2022 Orléans Masters Super 100 Malaysia Junaidi Arif Netherlands Ruben Jille
Netherlands Ties van der Lecq		 Walkover 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2023 Ruichang China Masters Super 100 Malaysia Nur Izzuddin China Chen Boyang
China Liu Yi		 16–21, 21–19, 21–23 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2023 (II) Indonesia Masters Super 100 Malaysia Choong Hon Jian Japan Kenya Mitsuhashi
Japan Hiroki Okamura		 16–21, 18–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2023 Syed Modi International Super 300 Malaysia Choong Hon Jian Japan Akira Koga
Japan Taichi Saito		 18–21, 21–18, 21–16 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2023 Guwahati Masters Super 100 Malaysia Choong Hon Jian Chinese Taipei Lin Bing-wei
Chinese Taipei Su Ching-heng		 21–17, 23–21 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2024 Orléans Masters Super 300 Malaysia Choong Hon Jian Indonesia Sabar Karyaman Gutama
Indonesia Muhammad Reza Pahlevi Isfahani		 21–15, 18–21, 21–14 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner

BWF International Challenge/Series (4 titles, 2 runners-up)

Men's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result Ref
2021 Austrian Open Malaysia Junaidi Arif France Lucas Corvée
France Ronan Labar		 21–17, 21–15 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2021 Latvia International Malaysia Junaidi Arif Malaysia Muhammad Nurfirdaus Azman
Malaysia Yap Roy King		 23–21, 15–21, 19–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2021 Hellas International Malaysia Junaidi Arif Czech Republic Ondřej Král
Czech Republic Adam Mendrek		 21–16, 21–15 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2021 Ukraine International Malaysia Junaidi Arif India Ishaan Bhatnagar
India Sai Pratheek K.		 21–15, 19–21, 21–15 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
2021 Scottish Open Malaysia Junaidi Arif Scotland Christopher Grimley
Scotland Matthew Grimley		 20–22, 16–21 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runner-up
2022 Malaysia International Malaysia Nur Izzuddin Malaysia Goh Boon Zhe
Malaysia Goh Sze Fei		 21–17, 21–16 1st place, gold medalist(s) Winner
  BWF International Challenge tournament
  BWF International Series tournament
  BWF Future Series tournament

References

  1. ↑ "Hon Jian-Muhammad Haikal Bag Orleans Masters 2024 Title". Bernama. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  2. ↑ "Haikal-Hon Jian juara Masters Orleans" (in Malay). Majlis Sukan Negara Malaysia. 17 March 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  3. ↑ "Choong Hon Jian and Muhammad Haikal Nazri Split and Form New Doubles Partnerships". Badminton Planet. 4 April 2026. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Hon Jian-Ee Wei, Wan Arif-Muhammad Haikal clinch Austrian Open titles". Malay Mail. 31 May 2021. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  5. 1 2 Fauzi, Ferzalfie (5 September 2021). "Pemain muda cemerlang di Greece" (in Malay). Harian Metro. Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 "Two M'sian pairs bag third European titles in Ukraine". The Sun. 11 September 2021. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Roy King, Valeree Siow cemerlang di Latvia" (in Malay). Harian Metro. 30 August 2021. Archived from the original on 30 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  8. ↑ Raftery, Alan (29 November 2021). "Grimley twins win big title: "It feels amazing"". Badminton Europe. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  9. 1 2 Anil, Nicolas (3 April 2022). "Haikal tests positive for COVID-19, forced to concede Orleans Masters men's doubles final". Stadium Astro. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  10. ↑ Musa, Muzaffar (17 May 2022). "Sukan SEA Hanoi: Skuad badminton lelaki bangkit ke final" (in Malay). Stadium Astro. Archived from the original on 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  11. ↑ "SEA Games: National shuttlers win men's team silver after loss to Thailand". Malay Mail. 19 May 2022. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  12. ↑ "Only two M'sian reps left in the last four". The Sun. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  13. 1 2 Zhang, Kevin (19 December 2022). "Justin Hoh Wins 2022 Malaysia International Challenge". Badminton Planet. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  14. ↑ "'Patatimo Boys' split, Nur Izzuddin confirmed partnering Muhammad Haikal". The Malaysian Reserve. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  15. 1 2 "Haikal-Izzuddin go down fighting in China Masters final". The Star. 20 March 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  16. ↑ "Next stop Paris, says Sze Fei after reuniting with Izzuddin". New Straits Times. 2 June 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  17. ↑ "Haikal plots new targets with new partner Hon Jian". The Star. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  18. 1 2 Peter, Fabian (29 October 2023). "Hon Jian-Haikal finally see the light with runners-up showing in Surabaya". New Straits Times. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  19. ↑ "Hon Jian-Haikal stun second seeds, reach Syed Modi final". New Straits Times. 3 December 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  20. 1 2 Anil, Nicolas (3 December 2023). "Syed Modi: Hon Jian-Haikal stun top seeds to clinch men's doubles title". Stadium Astro. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  21. 1 2 Peter, Fabian (10 December 2023). "Hon Jian-Haikal win Guwahati Masters". New Straits Times. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  22. ↑ "BATC 2024 draw: Easy path to quarter-finals for men's, women's squads". Malay Mail. 30 January 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  23. 1 2 K., Rajan (18 March 2024). "Hon Jian-Haikal crowned Orleans Masters champions". New Straits Times. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  24. ↑ Alleyne, Gayle (19 March 2017). "BWF Launches New Events Structure". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  25. ↑ Sukumar, Dev (10 January 2018). "Action-Packed Season Ahead!". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.