KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s final Group C clash against Japan at the Sudirman Cup tomorrow is shaping up to be a tactical minefield, says former international and former Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) high performance director Datuk James Selvaraj.
With both teams already through to the quarter-finals in Xiamen, China, finishing as group winners could offer a tactical edge — avoiding other group toppers in the next round when a fresh draw is conducted.
“It’s going to be very tricky. It really depends on what Kenneth (Jonassen) and Rexy (Mainaky) decide,” James told Scoop.
“On paper, Japan are the stronger team and likely to win even against our top players. So are we willing to gamble the tie and rest our best? Or do we want to go all out… and still not guarantee a win?”
James highlighted the selection dilemma facing Malaysia, particularly whether to field regular starters or give second-string players court time ahead of the knockouts.
“So Kenneth has to decide — does he play Leong Jun Hao or Justin Hoh against Kodai (Naraoka), and K. Letshanaa or Goh Jin Wei in the women’s singles?
“In the doubles, it’s also very unpredictable. Do we go with our highest-ranked men’s pair (Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani), although I sense a slight drop in form, or play Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik instead?
“It’s the same dilemma with the women’s and mixed doubles match-ups. The coaches have to really call the right one for this.”
James also said that finishing second in the group might not necessarily be a disadvantage, especially as top nations like Denmark, Indonesia, and India are not fielding their strongest squads.
More crucially, Malaysia, having already beaten France (5-0) and Australia (4-1), would not face Japan again in the quarter-finals due to the draw mechanism — leaving China and South Korea as the other major sides to avoid.
At the 2021 edition in Vantaa, Finland, Malaysia also finished second in their group but still reached the semi-finals — a stage the team have never gone beyond since the tournament’s inception in 1989. — April 30, 2025