The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) is not placing pressure on its players to win the World Championships, but expects every national shuttler to give their absolute best on court.
BAM performance committee chairman Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei said players must take responsibility for their performances and should not be satisfied with simply making it into the tournament.
He stressed that an early defeat would not automatically result in a player being dropped, but the coaches would need to conduct an honest assessment if the performance lacked fighting spirit.
“This is the players’ responsibility. Based on their preparation going into the World Championships, they know what they want,” said Chong Wei, a three-time World Championships silver medallist.
“If they are satisfied with playing only in the first or second round and do not have enough hunger, then we have to review this.
“We are not going to drop players simply because of one result. We have to look at their overall performance.”
Chong Wei said the players’ determination would be just as important as their results, giving the example of a lower-ranked player facing the world No. 1.
He said a player who loses in three games after fighting until the final point should be accepted, while a straight-game defeat without much resistance would require the coaching team to investigate what went wrong.
The review could focus on areas such as tactics, physical fitness and preparation, with Chong Wei stressing that such assessments are part of the coaches’ responsibilities.
Malaysia’s preparations have also been affected by several changes, including the absence of reigning mixed doubles world champions Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei. Ee Wei is recovering from knee surgery and will not defend the title in New Delhi.
The men’s doubles squad is also undergoing a major reshuffle, with Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and Wan Arif Junaidi-Yap Roy King returning to their original partnerships for the World Championships after experimenting with different combinations in the previous four World Tour events.
Chong Wei said the trial pairings are part of BAM’s longer-term strategy to identify Malaysia’s strongest combinations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“We are trying out the scratch pairs because we have to choose and send the best pair for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“After a few tournaments, the coaches will review and report, and we will continue preparing until the Olympics,” he said.
When asked whether men’s singles players Leong Jun Hao, ranked world No. 28, and Justin Hoh, ranked No. 45, were expected to reach the latter stages, Chong Wei admitted they were not at that level yet.
“If you ask me, we want them to become champions. But their level is not up there yet.
“We want to see them playing to their maximum potential and going all out, even in defeat. This is what we want to see,” he said.
Malaysia’s medal hopes will largely rest on women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, who won silver at last year’s World Championships.
However, the world No. 5 pair face a difficult potential quarter-final against South Korea’s third-ranked Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee if they advance to the last eight.
