KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian badminton squad carries the advantage of past records as a talisman as they prepare to challenge the 2014 champion Japan, ahead of the Thomas Cup quarter-finals scheduled for today afternoon.
Following the draw held at the Chengdu High-Tech Zone Sports Centre, Malaysia, emerging as the runner-up in Group D will go head-to-head with Japan, who secured the top spot in Group B.
On the surface, Japan appears much tougher when assessed based on individual strengths.
However, Malaysia holds a psychological advantage based on their past match records.
During the Badminton Asian Team Championships in Setia Alam in February, Malaysia cruised to victory over Japan with a convincing 3-1 win in the semi-finals.
Despite sceptics attributing Malaysia’s success to luck against Japan’s youthful squad, the Malaysian team proved their mettle by defeating Japan’s top players, 3-2, during the 2022 Thomas Cup group stage in Bangkok.
At that time, Japan’s formidable lineup included Kento Momota, Kanta Tsuneyama, and Kenta Nishimoto in men’s singles, along with highly-skilled doubles pairs Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi and Akira Koga-Yuta Watanabe.
Remarkably, Malaysia’s doubles pairs, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Nur Izzudin Rumsani-Goh Sze Fei, were instrumental in securing crucial points for Malaysia, and they are expected to play pivotal roles once again in tomorrow’s match.
The key to Malaysia’s victory will likely rest on the performance of their singles players, including Lee Zii Jia, Leong Jun Hao, Cheam June Wei, or Justin Hoh, as they aim to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
Two years ago in Bangkok, Malaysia’s journey was halted at the quarter-finals stage by India, who then made history by clinching the title for the first time. – May 2, 2024