KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s singles campaign at the World Championships in Paris ended as early as the second round, a result that came as little surprise.
For months, if not years, the nation has struggled to find a genuine successor since Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei retired in 2019.
The question now is where will the next big star, or set of serious contenders come from.
Former internationals Datuk Rashid Sidek and Datuk James Selvaraj painted a grim but realistic picture. Both believe the next world-class singles player is not in the current system – and has yet to even be identified.
Rashid emphasised that talent must be spotted and nurtured from as early as 12 or 13 years old. While the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has reverted to admitting younger players into its academy, Rashid insists that the key is players with strong fundamentals.
“Realistically, I don’t see much happening with the current crop of junior players,” Rashid told Scoop after Leong Jun Hao’s 17-21, 21-13, 25-23 defeat to Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto in the second round yesterday.
“Development must start from the ground up. Identify youngsters with the skills and build a solid foundation. If players at 12 or 13 lack strong basics, it’s already too late. You can’t start teaching the fundamentals at 16, 17 or 18.
“Go look at China and see how strong their young players are with basics.”
James, who served BAM as high-performance director from 2010 to 2012, echoed the sentiment. He stressed that talent must first be discovered before anything else can be built.
“Talent is the most important thing. Everything else can be taught but not talent. BAM must scour every corner of the country to identify promising players,” said James.
“From there, you build them up. If you ask me, we shouldn’t be talking about 2028 or even 2030. This shake-up will take longer than five years.”
Currently, BAM’s singles programme is led by coaching director Kenneth Jonassen, with Datuk Tey Seu Bock in charge of the juniors.
Beyond Jun Hao, it was a forgettable outing for the rest of Malaysia’s singles representatives. Independents Lee Zii Jia and Goh Jin Wei both fell at the first hurdle, while debutant K. Letshanaa was beaten in straight games – 21-19, 21-15 – by India’s former champion P. V. Sindhu in the second round. – August 28, 2025