The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) are set for another round of coaching reshuffle after the national contingent came home empty handed after competing in a plethora of tournaments since September.
Only independent pair Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi managed to bag a bronze from the just concluded World Championships, while the rest of the shuttlers under the national body were disappointing.
“We actually have progressed, it’s just that people can’t wait for the players to improve. I believe we will improve ourselves. An announcement on the shake-up will be made in due course,” said BAM president Norza Zakaria.
After Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik did well to capture bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, Malaysia followed it up by reaching the Sudirman Cup semi-finals, and hopes were high the shuttlers would deliver some titles upon the resumption of the World Tour circuit.
But everyone flattered to deceive.
Several tournaments held in Europe only saw Lee Zii Jia go the furthest when he reached the Hylo Open final, where he retired through injury and conceded the match to new world champion Loh Kean Yew.
Lee would retire another two times, including at the world champs meet after he suffered a blister in the last eight against Anders Antonsen.
But the All-England champion, whose victory in March brought the biggest cheer for fans this year, shouldn’t be expected to carry the nation’s hopes alone.
In truth, there were many subplots that have also derailed the country’s success on the elite stage.
Chow Mei Kuan retired right after the Olympics due to unknown reasons, and it meant the end of her promising partnership with Lee Meng Yean, who is now struggling to find chemistry with Yap Cheng Wen.
Goh Jin Wei also retired due to health reasons, and that means the women’s singles mantle fell almost completely on S. Kisona who has seem to regress in recent months.
Chia-Soh were disappointing after failing to reach at least one final, and they even missed the World Tour Finals showcase after not making the top eight pairs.
While these elite shuttlers would continue representing the country at major team events and on the World Tour circuit next year, BAM also identified several junior shuttlers whom they plan to groom expansively.
Ng Tze Yong showed he would be bound for greater things after winning three men’s singles titles this year, while men’s doubles Junaidi Arif-Muhammad Haikal also put themselves in the reckoning for tougher assignments by winning three titles and two runners-up finishes in lower-tier events.
The BAM secured the services of Indonesian great Rexy Mainaky as deputy coaching director who would be looking after the doubles department, while former national shuttler K.Yogendran was roped into the men’s singles segment.
Rexy’s appointment was a marquee one, and fans would expect major changes, especially in the knowledge that Malaysian badminton is now flush with some of the most accomplished coaches, a state-of-the-art training facility at the Academy Badminton Malaysia, and a comprehensive support system.
