KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s Thomas Cup journey ended abruptly with a 3-0 defeat to defending champions China in the quarter-finals in Horsens, Denmark, today.
The loss prolongs Malaysia’s pursuit of the coveted title to 34 years, with the last triumph recorded in 1992, despite earlier optimism from Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
The campaign began on a challenging note as Leong Jun Hao succumbed 21-10, 16-21, 21-9 to world number one Shi Yu Qi in the opening singles.
The pressure mounted in the doubles, where Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik fell 24-22, 21-14 to Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, giving China a commanding position in the tie.
Any chance of a Malaysian comeback was extinguished when Justin Hoh lost 21-14, 21-13 to Li Shi Feng in the second singles, sealing the national side’s exit.
Malaysia have not beaten China in the Thomas Cup since 2002 and were unable to surpass their semi-final finish in the previous edition, where they were also eliminated by the same rivals. – May 1, 2026