KUALA LUMPUR – National badminton coaching director, Rexy Mainaky, hopes that all the challenges and mishaps faced by the national squad ahead of the Thomas and Uber Cup will pave the way for significant triumphs.
From the onset of preparations for the tournament that starts on Saturday, the national squad have encountered a series of trials and controversies.
As they readied themselves to embark for Chengdu today, the team encountered a setback, starting from the air conditioning failure of the bus transporting players and coaches to Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2.
Adding to the headache, Rexy was once again flustered when a player’s passport and luggage were inadvertently left behind on the bus during the check-in process at the registration counter.
“Today, we are set to depart for Chengdu, and (we are) expected to arrive at midnight, so we may have less resting time.
“Nevertheless, I hope no player falls ill, and may our flight not be delayed, arriving safely there.
“I want us to leave all the negative things behind here. The bus we took earlier wasn’t having a breakdown, there was just a problem with the air conditioning, so everyone was feeling uncomfortable throughout the journey to the airport.
“Hopefully, all these hardships that we had to endure will be paid for with major success in Chengdu,” said Rexy.
Previously, the national squad had to accept the cancellation of an overseas central training camp, which was supposed to be held in Macau or Hong Kong.
Additionally, the national squad faced uncertainty regarding the status of men’s singles player Ng Tze Yong.
Tze Yong, who has been struggling with a back injury since February, was initially listed to go to Chengdu, but he was dropped at the last minute as he had not fully recovered, requiring another surgery.
The pinnacle of controversy for the Thomas Cup squad this time involved Lee Zii Jia, who requested compensation from the Badminton Association of Malaysia for image rights.
Nevertheless, Rexy remains optimistic about the commitment shown by the entire team throughout the central training camp at Akademi Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara since Monday.
“As I mentioned before, the team’s mood is good, and if we look at it, everything is positive. All players are attending training and engaging in activities like having breakfast together.
“This is something very good, and I hope it can be maintained until Chengdu. I also don’t want any negative thoughts when we arrive there,” he added.
In Chengdu, Malaysia are placed in Group D alongside Denmark, Hong Kong and Algeria. – April 24, 2024