Leong Jun Hao has one final opportunity at the upcoming 2025 SEA Games to salvage a largely underwhelming year for the national men’s singles shuttler.
The 26-year-old has become a shuttler void of any confidence after exiting his last five competitions in the opening round itself.
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As a result, Leong has plummeted 10 rungs on the World Tour rankings and he ends the 2025 season sitting a dismal 30.
With the World Tour behind him, the country’s highest ranked men’s singles shuttler will turn all his efforts to this multi-sport Games to try and win a medal.
Leong and his team-mate Justin Hoh, who will both compete at the SEA Games skipped last week’s Australian Open for additional time to prepare for the December event in Bangkok.
This SEA Games edition is set to feature one of the most stellar cast of shuttlers, with all the strong contenders including Malaysia fielding their top guns.
Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn will be a strong favourite for the gold medal, with the world number three also the highest ranked men’ singles shuttler.
Indonesia’s rising star and exciting young talent Alwi Farhan is another prospect tipped for a medal, while there is also Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew and Jason Teh who completes the top four contenders.
Leong sits outside this top bracket, but he can somehow find the belief to regain his best badminton at the SEA Games, he stands a genuine chance.
For the record, Lee Zii Jia was the last Malaysian men's singles shuttler to win a SEA Games medal when he delivered gold after beating Loh at the 2019 edition.
The SEA Games badminton event takes place from Dec 7-14.
