KUALA LUMPUR – As the Paris Olympic Games draw nearer, anticipation for Malaysia’s national athletes to excel in international tournaments heightens.
The world’s biggest sporting event, set for late July, has already seen 18 Malaysian athletes qualify, with a significant portion being badminton players.
Among those heading to Paris are men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia, women’s singles player Goh Jin Wei, men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, women’s doubles duo Pearly Tan-M Thinaah, and mixed doubles team Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei.
Except for Zii Jia and Jin Wei, the other shuttlers are part of Malaysia’s special Olympic support programme, the Road to Gold (RTG), chaired by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh and Olympic Council of Malaysia president Tan Sri Mohammad Norza Zakaria.
Since Malaysia’s semi-final defeat to China at the Thomas Cup, Zii Jia has been the standout performer, clinching the Thailand Open title on May 19 and finishing as runner-up at the Malaysia Masters the following week.
At the Malaysia Masters, mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai, who did not qualify for the Olympics, also secured a title win.
However, at the recent Singapore Open, Malaysia was left with four representatives in the quarter-finals, where all faltered.
These included Leong Jun Hao in the men’s singles, mixed doubles duo Tang Jie-Ee Wei, and the men’s doubles pairs of Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and Aaron-Wooi Yik.
National badminton coaching director Rexy Mainaky acknowledged the underperformance of the Olympic-bound athletes.
“There is much work to be done for the RTG players because, from what it seems, they have not been performing up to par for the past two tournaments,” he told Scoop when contacted.
“On the other hand, non-RTG players have been displaying good performance.
“I would not entirely say that this loss is concerning. I would not admit defeat yet at this stage.”
The Olympic-bound shuttlers’ next challenge on the international circuit is the Super 1000 Indonesia Open, commencing on June 4, followed by the Super 500 Australia Open on June 11.
These tournaments will be crucial for Malaysia’s athletes as they prepare for Paris. – June 1, 2024