Counting on you: Goh Jin Wei is one of the shuttlers selected for the Asiad individual event.
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia will not be represented in the women’s team event in the badminton competition in the Asian Games in September.
Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky said the women shuttlers will only focus on the individual events.
The women selected for the Asiad are Goh Jin Wei, K. Letshanaa (singles); Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, Valeree Siow-Go Pei Kee (doubles); Shevon Lai Jemie and Toh Ee Wei (mixed doubles).
“We need to be realistic about our chances as the format in the Asian Games is straight knock out,” said Rexy.
“There will be no group stage.
“Therefore, it’s better for the likes of Pearly-Thinaah to use the time to prepare for the individual event where they stand a better chance to win a medal.”
This is the second consecutive Games where Malaysia will not compete in the women’s team event after the 2018 edition in Jakarta.
The women’s team have struggled in events such as the SEA Games and Uber Cup.
In the SEA Games in Cambodia in May, the women’s team suffered an embarrassing 0-3 loss at the hands of minnows the Philippines.
In the 2022 edition in Vietnam, the team went down 1-3 to to the hosts.
In the Uber Cup, Malaysia last went past the group stage in 2012.
Meanwhile, the men’s team will be spearheaded by independent men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia.
Ng Tze Yong, Cheam June Wei and Leong Jun Hao will join him in the singles while Aaron Chia, Soh Wooi Yik, Ong Yew Sin, Teo Ee Yi, Goh Soon Huat and Chen Tang Jie are the doubles players included.
“We believe this is a promising team,” said Rexy.
“Aaron-Wooi Yik and Yew Sin-Ee Yi’s performances have been quite stable.
“We hope Zii Jia’s performances will get better under the guidance of his new coach Wong Tat Meng.
“For Tze Yong, we are trying to help him close the gap on the top 10-20 players and we have about two months to do so.
“We have selected four singles players to give us more options and reduce the pressure on the players.”
Meanwhile, men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani booked their spots in the semi-finals of the US Open after defeating Taiwan’s Chiu Hsiang-chieh-Yang Ming-tse 21-15, 21-19 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa on Friday.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin, who were competing in their first tournament after reuniting last month, will take on China’s Chen Bo Yang-Liu Yi for a place in the final.
