KUALA LUMPUR — With one foot already in the quarter-finals of the Sudirman Cup in Xiamen, China, Malaysia will head into their final Group C tie tomorrow with a clear objective: upset favourites Japan and finish top of the group.
For Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen, the task is not impossible. But the Dane insists the players must put world rankings aside and avoid giving their opponents too much respect.
Speaking to Scoop after Malaysia’s 4-1 win over Australia in their second group match yesterday, Jonassen said: “Japan have world-class players with strong track records in both singles and doubles, but I believe that in team events, rankings don’t always matter.
“I’ve seen several matches here in Xiamen where top-ranked players have been challenged, so I do believe we have a chance — if we can play at our best level.
“All we can do is go all out and see what happens.”
If history is anything to go by, Malaysia have shown they can rise to the occasion.
At the previous edition two years ago, they stunned India and went on to beat Chinese Taipei to top their group. They then saw off Denmark 3-1 in the quarter-finals before falling 3-1 to South Korea in the semi-finals.
At the 2021 tournament in Vantaa, Finland, Malaysia finished second in their group — with wins over England and Egypt, and a loss to Japan — but still made the last four after pulling off a thrilling 3-2 win over Indonesia in the quarters.
Though Malaysia have never gone beyond the semi-final stage, reaching that level for a third consecutive edition would be a notable achievement.
And while the current squad are without key names such as 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medallist Lee Zii Jia and the recovering Ng Tze Yong, they may yet have a few surprises in store.
“I believe the players are ready — it’s just a matter of how we perform on the day.
“From this point on, every team will be fielding their best line-ups, so we need to have the right mindset when we step on court. It’s an intriguing challenge (but not an impossible one),” Jonassen added.
Under the tournament format, the top two teams from each group progress to the quarter-finals, with group winners earning a seeding and avoiding each other in the last eight, following a fresh draw at the end of the group stages.
For the record, Malaysia had already thrashed France 5-0 on Monday. — April 30, 2025