PETALING JAYA: Numbers alone won’t win titles, and the doubles squad know that having four men’s doubles pairs at the World Championships is no guarantee of success.

Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King were the last pair to make the cut for the world meet from Aug 25-31 in Paris.

They were initially second on the reserve list but earned a spot following the withdrawal of several other pairs.

The world No. 24 duo will join Asian champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, world No. 7 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, as well as independent pair and former world No. 1s Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, in the prestigious meet.

National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky welcomed the strong representation for the world meet, but was quick to point out that stiff competition awaits.

“Having more pairs doesn’t necessarily translate to success. What’s important is preparing well in order to win,” said Rexy.

“This isn’t about how many pairs are going to Paris, it’s about how well we train and how much we put into it.

Rexy’s concerns are valid, as five months ago the men’s doubles camp suffered a major blow at the All-England.

Malaysia had six pairs in the world’s oldest tournament, with the added presence of newly-appointed Indonesian coach Herry Iman Pierngadi, but the shuttlers returned empty-handed and delivered a disappointing performance in Birmingham.

Still, Rexy is hoping his players can produce better results this time around, especially Arif-Roy King, who will be making their debut at the tournament.

“My hope is that they can deliver a strong performance in their first World Championships appearance,” he added.

The players now have three weeks to sharpen their gameplay before departing for Paris on Aug 21, five days after the singles shuttlers, who are scheduled to leave on Aug 16.

Leong Jun Hao, K. Letshanaa, and Justin Hoh will first head to Denmark for intensive training with the Danish national squad before regrouping with the rest of the team in Paris.

The tournament draw is expected to take place on Aug 13.