PETALING JAYA: Bring home the title!
This is the challenge issued to the shuttlers by national coaching director Rexy Mainaky (pic) ahead of the Malaysian Open which is set to start at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday.
No Malaysian has won the home title since former great Datuk Lee Chong Wei triumphed in the men’s singles in 2018. What’s worse, no home player has managed to reach the final as well since Chong Wei’s retirement the following year.
And Indonesian Rexy, who himself captured the title thrice as a player along with Ricky Subagja in 1993, 1994 and 1997, wants his charges to bring back the home cheers this time around.
“Of course we want one of our players to win the title,” said Rexy at a pre-tournament press conference at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara yesterday.
“We know the expectations from the fans are high for our players to win and as hosts, we are highly motivated.
“The players need to learn from their experience last year and put up a better showing this time.”
The home shuttlers endured a poor outing last year with only independent men’s doubles pair Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi and national mixed doubles duo Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei making it to the quarter-finals.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi went down to Indonesia’s eventual champions Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto while Tang Jie-Ee Wei lost out to Thailand’s 2021 world champions Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai.
Meanwhile, top men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik suffered a second round exit at the hands of China’s Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi.
World No. 4 Aaron-Wooi Yik though are Malaysia’s best bet to win the title this time.
The pair will play Denmark’s world No. 22 Rasmus Kjaer-Frederik Sogaard in the opening round.
Aaron-Wooi Yik’s first big test will likely come in the last eight against South Korea’s reigning world champions Kang Min-hyuk-Seo Seung-jae.
For the record, the last Malaysian men’s doubles pair to capture the title were Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah in 2014.
