KUALA LUMPUR – Badminton coaches and players should be more concerned if there are no misunderstandings or arguments between doubles partners.
These dynamics are, in fact, essential for shaping world-class players.
Rexy Mainaky, a former Olympic gold medallist and world champion, and now the coaching director at Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM), emphasised that pairs can only improve if they experience these challenges in their partnership.
“When we talk about doubles, I speak from experience as a former doubles player, just like Tan Bin Shen (men’s doubles coach).
“In my experience, pairs improve when they have disagreements and misunderstandings because it shows that the players are aware of what they want.
“If they don’t voice their concerns or express their frustrations, no one will know. In every successful partnership, misunderstandings and arguments are inevitable. What matters is how you communicate and manage them.
“For me, this is what distinguishes world-class players from those who have yet to reach the top,” said Rexy at a recent press conference.
Rexy’s comments were in response to two-time Olympic bronze medallists Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, who recently spoke about the differences they overcame in preparation for the Paris Olympics.
World number three Aaron and Wooi Yik narrowly missed out on reaching the Olympic final after losing the semi-finals in three games to world number ones Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China.
In the bronze medal playoff, the Malaysians were on the brink of defeat but displayed exceptional determination, saving four match points in the second game against Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, ultimately retaining the medal they had won in Tokyo three years earlier. – August 14, 2024