Kuala Lumpur: Rexy Mainaky, the Coaching Director of the Academy of Badminton Malaysia (ABM), urges Malaysian badminton players to cultivate a champion mentality.
Rexy mentioned that many players often come up with excuses to improve their rankings, and after achieving their goals, they appear more ‘relaxed’ in facing the remaining championships.
Such an approach should not be present in players, according to Rexy. He believes they should maintain a champion’s mindset, especially when in a better position, particularly in the current rankings.
“Based on my own experience as a player, I think I don’t want to lose in the first or second round. Even if my opponent were Park Joo Bong/Kim Moon Soo, I put it in my mind that I want to become a champion,” said Mainaky.
“That’s what I want to see. When you become a champion, you are no longer (ranked) 32, maybe in the top 10. But when you ask (players), they might say ‘I want to be in the top 32’.”
“This means that when they reach 32, what’s next? Just want to enjoy playing (a series) 500 with a top 32 ranking? Not really. So when there is a championship, you set a mentality, ‘OK, I want to be a champion.'”
“Even though some may say it’s unrealistic or whatever… I don’t care. I prefer players to think that way rather than just wanting to improve their ranking. That’s why players, when they compete at tournaments and fail, it’s because they only think about improving their ranking,” said Rexy.
Additionally, Rexy hopes that coaches can play a role in improving the quality of play and the mindset of their players.
“(For example) Haikal – Hon Jian. Haikal is not happy when I say that even though they are actually in the semifinals and final. I am not happy with their results.
“I am not happy with their style of play because it’s like playing at level 100 and 300, and you’re not preparing yourself to play at 500.”
“Actually, they don’t agree, but I say ‘think about it and come back to talk to me if you want to continue playing, and if not, just continue with how you guys are playing now.”
“They came back… we made changes, and after that, they won championships consecutively. In that tournament, they defeated stronger opponents. So that means something is better. With a little change, they entered the arena and were ready to play like they do in 500-level tournaments,” added Rexy.
In conclusion, Mainaky stresses that developing a champion’s mentality is crucial for realizing true championships. He points out that Malaysian players often lag behind their counterparts from other countries because they are surpassed by opponents who are continuously improving.
He cites the example of China’s men’s doubles pair Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, who, despite being 23 and 22 years old, respectively, have already achieved the world No. 1 ranking. In contrast, he notes that Malaysian senior players are still striving to participate in international challenge tournaments, underscoring the need to nurture a champion’s mindset to truly become champions.
