The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) set an ambitious target of four golds and seven medals overall at the Bangkok SEA Games. Instead, the team returned with just one gold, two silver, and six bronze—a total of nine medals that may have looked respectable in number but fell short in quality.
The biennial Games exposed a worrying reality: Malaysian badminton appears stagnant while regional rivals like Indonesia and Thailand continue to surge ahead.
China, meanwhile, played a different game altogether. For the past four championships, they rested their top stars to prepare for the prestigious World Tour Finals (WTF) in Hangzhou from Dec 17–21, a tournament offering RM12.5 million in prize money.
Malaysia’s own SEA Games showing should raise alarm bells for the coaching team—led by retired internationals from Indonesia and Denmark, reportedly hired at significant cost. The WTF is where the world’s elite—China, South Korea, Japan, Denmark—clash for glory. In doubles alone, winners stand to pocket RM1.03 million.
For Malaysia, the road looks steep. Based on current form and head-to-head records, a gold medal seems out of reach. At best, a silver or bronze might be possible.
Only the top eight pairs in each category qualify for the season finale, with each country limited to two entries. Malaysia’s men’s and women’s singles players didn’t even make the cut: Leong Jun Hao ranked 29th, Justin Ho 36th, and K. Letshanaa 38th, with the rest outside the top 60.
The doubles, however, may offer a glimmer of hope. Malaysia has five pairs in Hangzhou:
- Men’s doubles: Aaron Chia–Soh Wooi Yik, Man Wei Chong–Tee Kai Wun
- Mixed doubles: Chen Tang Jie–Toh Ee Wei, Goh Soon Huat–Shevon Lai Jemie
- Women’s doubles: Pearly Tan–M. Thinaah
But challenges loom. World No. 2 Aaron–Wooi Yik, fresh off a SEA Games loss to lower-ranked Indonesians, have landed in the “group of death” alongside India’s world No. 3 Satwiksairaj Rankireddy–Chirag Shetty, China’s Liang Wei Keng–Wang Chang (No. 7), and Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian–Shohibul Fikri (No. 9).
Rankings may flatter, but their season’s performances suggest otherwise.
Top-seeded Pearly Tan–Thinaah face China’s No. 2 Jia Yi Fan–Zhang Shu Xian and two formidable Japanese pairs. Their SEA Games run, stretched to three games by weaker Indonesian opponents, hints at a tough battle ahead.
Mixed doubles world champions Chen Tang Jie–Toh Ee Wei remain Malaysia’s best bet. They claimed silver last year but their recent straight-game defeat to a lower-ranked Thai pair raises questions about consistency.
In Hangzhou, they must overcome China’s Feng Yan Zhe–Huang Dong Ping, compatriots Goh–Shevon, and Indonesia’s top duo Jafar Hidayatullah–Felisha Alberta Pasaribu.
Malaysia’s qualifiers have earned their place through a year of hard work. A medal in Hangzhou would be a bonus, but the bigger picture is clear: the gap with the world’s best is widening, and unless Malaysia raises its game, podium finishes will remain elusive.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
