KUALA LUMPUR – The upcoming 10 days will be thrilling for badminton players worldwide, including the Malaysian contingent, as they await the draw for the Paris Olympics scheduled for July 12 in Kuala Lumpur.
However, Akademi Badminton Malaysia coaching director Rexy Mainaky offers a different perspective.
He believes that the draw’s outcome should not affect their players if they are well prepared.
The Malaysian team are already familiar with the players who have qualified for Paris and have faced most of them several times before.
“I think when it comes to the draw, we should focus on mental preparation, mindset and staying focused in the arena. In other words, making thorough preparations,” Rexy told Scoop.
“Regarding the draw, there shouldn’t be any issues because all players know who has already qualified for the Olympics.
“For instance, Pearly (Tan) and (M.) Thinaah may face anyone after finishing outside the top 10 in qualification. If they are lucky, they might get a favourable draw, but if not, they must accept it if drawn against the top seeds.
“For me, don’t dwell too much on the draw. What’s most important is training sessions. If you burden yourself too much with things beyond your control, you may become demotivated,” Rexy told Scoop.
At the Paris Games, Malaysia will be represented by Lee Zii Jia (men’s singles), Goh Jin Wei (women’s singles), Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (men’s doubles), Pearly and Thinaah (women’s doubles), and Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei (mixed doubles).
According to the Badminton World Federation (BWF), there will be up to 16 seeds in the singles and four seeds in each of the three doubles events at the Paris Olympics.
The seeding will be based on the BWF ranking list as of July 9.
Four years ago, during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, only Zii Jia was seeded, albeit as the ninth seed.
However, it was Aaron and Wooi Yik who made headlines by restoring pride to the Malaysian contingent, clinching a bronze medal after defeating Indonesia’s pair, Hendra Setiawan-Mohammad Ahsan. – July 3 2024