SHAH ALAM – National women’s singles coach K. Yogendran believes that with more training and sheer determination, the current set of the national women’s team will have the potential to emerge victorious in the 2025 Sea Games, scheduled to take place in Bangkok, Thailand.
The previous edition (2023 Phnom Penh) saw the women’s team fumbling 3-0 against the Philippines in the quarterfinals.
Thailand went on to win the gold medal in the tournament.
Yogendran said that the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has been providing his players with all the necessities to elevate their performance over the past year.
“We began this plan after we failed in the 2023 edition, and the planning was made from scratch by analysing the strengths and weaknesses of our players.
“We have given so much emphasis on young players as they are the future of our national team, and the players have also been showing so much improvement since they started training with the national camp.
“I can see the fire in them, and BAM has also been supporting the coaching team and the players by providing them with many sparring partners. The sparring players that we have in the women’s team are Anson Cheong, Chia Jeng Hon, and coaches like myself and Hendrawan.
“BAM has provided us with all the necessities, and I expect them to continue their momentum so that we can emerge victorious in the 2025 Sea Games,” said Yogendran when he was met at the Setia City Convention Centre today.
Yogendran has vast coaching experience at the grassroots level and abroad, including a stint as the head coach of the Mauritius national team.
The 42-year-old was also part of the 2000 Asian Junior Championships bronze medal-winning team and has also featured in the All-England and World Championships.
He further said that despite his team’s final group match defeat in the ongoing 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) against Thailand today, he applauded his charges for giving their 100% against a formidable side.
“I wont say that we lost terribly. Our players are still young, and for them to go against some of the top (20-30) players in the world gives them a lot of experience and will prepare them for bigger challenges in the future.
“Thailand sent their full team except for a few players such as Ratchanok Intanon. We are behind Thailand because of their experience, not in terms of skills. Women’s strengths and young girls’ strengths are different. We are not too far, and it’s just an experience gap.
“Yesterday, we played against the United Arab Emirates, and the game was not that competitive. However, players like K. Letshanaa showed up in today’s game. Letshanaa’s work ethic has been brilliant, and she has recently lost 8kg of her body weight over the past month specifically for the BATC. I appreciate her efforts and progress.
“Letshanaa will probably be listed in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics player development project, and of course, we will give her more tournament exposure.
“For now, she’s competing in tournaments like the Super 300 and 500, and one day when her ranking increases, we’ll push her more to compete in elite tournaments,” Yogendran added.
Malaysia has guaranteed their qualification for the quarter-finals and finished their campaign in Group Y behind Thailand with two points (430-339), while the United Arab Emirates have been eliminated after two consecutive defeats.
The top two teams from each group will progress to the knockout stage before a fresh draw is conducted for the last eight.
Additionally, the top four teams from both the men’s and women’s events will qualify for the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in China, taking place from April 28 to May 5, 2024. – February 15, 2024