KUALA LUMPUR: Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) performance committee chairman Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei has acknowledged the national team’s failure to meet its medal target at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where Malaysia secured just one bronze medal.
The sole medal came from women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, falling short of BAM’s target of at least one silver and one bronze.
Chong Wei said reports from singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen and doubles director Rexy Mainaky would be reviewed to identify weaknesses and determine the team’s next steps.
He said a post-mortem session would be held after the coaching staff return from their European assignments at the Arctic Open, Denmark Open and French Open.
“We did fail. Our target was one silver and one bronze, but we only managed one bronze. We have to acknowledge that failure, identify the problems and make the necessary improvements,” he said when contacted.
Chong Wei stressed that the Asian Games served as an important benchmark ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, making a thorough evaluation of the team’s performance essential.
Despite the disappointing medal tally, he said the players deserved recognition for their efforts throughout the competition.
He pointed to Malaysia’s 3-2 quarter-final defeat to Indonesia in the men’s team event, highlighting Leong Jun Hao’s victory over then world No. 1 Jonatan Christie as evidence of the squad’s fighting spirit.
Chong Wei also praised men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia and Tee Kai Wun, despite their second-round loss to South Korea’s world No. 1 combination of Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae.
He said the defeat was particularly frustrating because the Malaysian pair had taken the lead in both games but were unable to close out the match.
“It was a missed opportunity because they were leading in both games. But I could see that they had given everything on court, and we have to accept the defeat,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chong Wei commended Pearly and Thinaah for bouncing back from a difficult period to secure the women’s doubles bronze medal.
However, he emphasised that the pair needed to strengthen their physical conditioning and improve their stamina if they hoped to challenge for Olympic gold.
“I have spoken to them. If they want to become Olympic champions, they need to improve their strength and address the weaknesses that have been identified,” he said.
Chong Wei added that while defeats were part of competitive sport, the team must learn from its shortcomings and make the necessary improvements.
“We can accept defeat if the players have given everything, but after that, we need to find ways to become better,” he said.
-NST
