Hangzhou: The Malaysian men’s badminton team faces a challenging path in their quest for a medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Their initial hurdle comes in the form of three-time champions, South Korea, in the opening round. Should they prevail, they would then confront Indonesia, a powerhouse in badminton, in the quarter-finals.
Indonesia, having earned top seeding, received a bye for the first round, placing them directly into the quarters.
Rexy Mainaky, the Coaching Director of the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM), emphasized that the team’s primary focus is to devise a strategy to overpower South Korea before even considering the potential matchup with Indonesia.
Highlighting the evenly matched nature of the team event against South Korea, Mainaky underscored the need for Malaysia to capitalize on its strengths in the singles events. “Our primary emphasis is the initial match against Korea. Our prospects in the singles are promising, whereas the doubles are more unpredictable since Korea boasts formidable doubles teams,” Mainaky explained.
He added, “I hope our players remain calm and prioritize their well-being, both physically and mentally. If we do end up facing Indonesia, we’ll strategize for that when the time comes. Right now, our eyes are firmly on South Korea.”
Malaysia boasts formidable talent, with the world’s 16th-ranked player, Lee Zii Jia, leading their singles lineup. He’s followed closely by Ng Tze Yong, ranked 19th globally. Meanwhile, Leong Jun Hao and Cheam June Wei will compete for the third singles spot. In contrast, South Korea’s top-ranked singles player, Jeon Hyeok Jin, holds the 47th global position.
For the doubles, Malaysia is banking on former world champions, Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik, alongside pairs Teo Ee Yi/Ong Yew Sin and Goh Soon Huat/Chen Tang Jie.
In a flashback to the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang edition, the Malaysian team met an early exit, facing a crushing 0-3 defeat against Japan in the first round.
