SHAH ALAM, Feb 19 — Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria is satisfied with the unwavering commitment and fighting spirit displayed by national players at the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) 2024, despite fitness issues among key players.
He said the incident involving two singles aces, Lee Zii Jia and Ng Tze Yong, who were rested for several matches due to breathing difficulties caused by sinus and back injuries, was beyond BAM’s control.
In fact, Malaysia’s decision to field Leong Jun Hao as the first singles in the final against China yesterday deserved praise, as the world number 38 appeared ready to shoulder the responsibility in future championships.
“We had the strength in 2024 but faced various injury setbacks, leading to an understrength team in the final.
“Nevertheless, we congratulate the players who have given their all to reach the final stage,” Norza told the press after Malaysia lost 0-3 to China in the BATC 2024 final at the Setia City Convention Centre yesterday night.
Previously, Lee was rested from the quarter-final and final due to sinus, while Ng was forced to concede a walkover in the quarter-final against Singapore on Friday (February 16) following a recurrence of a back injury he sustained in the Malaysia Open last month.
Ng was on court for only three minutes before being forced to retire while trailing 1-3 in the first game against Jason Teh.
Norza also believes Malaysia’s triumph over Taiwan and Japan in the quarter-final and semi-final proves they did not take their journey in the biennial tournament lightly.
He is also confident the coaching team, led by Rexy Mainaky, will take a proactive approach by conducting a post-mortem analysis to evaluate the national athletes’ performances in preparation for the upcoming Thomas Cup 2024 in Chengdu, China this April.
“I believe we automatically qualified for the Thomas Cup, and am confident that with better preparation, we can compete with major contenders, particularly in our quest to reclaim the Thomas Cup (last won in 1992).
“So, I think we have already seen the pathway to the Thomas Cup, and I hope Rexy and his team can build that momentum for Chengdu,” said the co-chairman of the Road To Gold programme.
— Bernama
