KUALA LUMPUR – Despite the odds being stacked against Malaysia in the quarter-finals of the Badminton Asia Team Championships, national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen believes his team has shown they can be a force to be reckoned with.
Malaysia, who face defending champions and hosts China tomorrow in Xiamen, earned their spot in the last eight after finishing second in Group C — a position confirmed following a narrow 3-2 defeat to Japan yesterday.
“I think yesterday we showed what we are capable of — an aggressive team that fights until the end, and one that opponents should be wary of,” Jonassen told Scoop when contacted.
“Of course, there are teams with even greater depth than Japan, but if we can maintain this same fighting attitude, then who knows what’s possible.”
While Malaysia had already secured a quarter-final berth before yesterday’s match, the loss meant they would face one of the group winners — and fate handed them arguably the toughest draw.
Still, there were standout moments in the tie against Japan. Leong Jun Hao stunned world number eight Kodai Naraoka 21-8, 13-21, 21-18 to give Malaysia a 2-0 lead, following a strong opening performance by mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei, who beat Hiroki Midorikawa and Arisa Igarashi.
However, Malaysia was unable to capitalize, as Goh Jin Wei (women’s singles), Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (men’s doubles), and Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (women’s doubles) lost their respective matches.
Since the tournament’s inception, Malaysia has never beaten China and has yet to progress beyond the semi-final stage — a daunting historical backdrop as they prepare for tomorrow’s clash. – May 2, 2025
Quarter-final draw
China vs Malaysia
Japan vs Chinese Taipei
Thailand vs Indonesia
Denmark vs South Korea