Bright spark: Malaysia men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao won a point against Indonesia in the Asia Mixed Team Championships.
PETALING JAYA: Rexy Mainaky is one who likes to take a gamble.
He fielded a weakened team for the Asia Mixed Team Championships and they failed to qualify for the quarter-finals but the national coaching director Rexy will do it all over again for the sake of giving younger players the exposure.
Rexy says he does not regret the decision to name back-up shuttlers that saw Malaysia crash out in the group stage.
The team without top guns Lee Zii Jia (men’s singles), Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (men’s doubles), Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (women’s doubles) and Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei (mixed doubles) lost 2-3 to both Hong Kong and Indonesia in Qingdao, China and could not progress to the last eight.
This is the first time that the team missed out on the quarter-finals since the tournament’s inception in 2017.
Mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie were the most experienced members included in the team along with Leong Jun Hao (men’s singles).
Although disappointed with the team’s outcome in the tournament which meant that Malaysia could not qualify on merit for the Sudirman Cup from April 27-May 4 in Xiamen, China, Rexy stands by his decision.
The Indonesian also said that he would continue to send second stringers for the event in the future in an effort to give exposure to the youngsters.
“I don’t regret this decision as we need to look at the bigger picture and focus on what we want to achieve,” said Rexy after overseeing a training session at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara yesterday.
“If we want to win the title, then yes, we should select our top players but we also need to be brave to give opportunities for the back-up players.
“If not in this tournament now, then when can we do this? At least the players could experience the responsibility that came in team events which is different from individual competitions.
“Of course I’m disappointed that we could not progress further but the players need to learn the lessons from this and hopefully in three to four years, they can take over from their seniors in the Sudirman Cup.
“Soon Huat-Shevon and Jun Hao are the only experienced members in the team. Even Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun have never been the main men’s doubles pair in a team event before this.
“We cannot afford to always rely on our top players. There are also other important tournaments coming up like the All-England (March 11-16),” added Rexy.
Malaysia will still be able to make the cut for the Sudirman Cup by virtue of being ranked fifth in the world team rankings.
Rexy though felt that the team could have done better in the mixed doubles after both world No. 4 Soon Huat-Shevon and world No. 15 Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin could not win their respective matches against Indonesia and Hong Kong.
Soon Huat-Shevon lost to Dejan Ferdinansyah-Siti Fadia Ramadhanti while Pang Ron-Su Yin went down to Tang Chun Man-Ng Tsz Yau.
Malaysia would have reached the quarter-finals if one of the pairs had delivered a point.
“It was 50-50 against both Indonesia and Hong Kong.
‘‘We were banking on the mixed doubles pairs to deliver a point but both were unsuccessful,” said Rexy.
“Both pairs started well but could not maintain their performance and this made it difficult for the team.”
Rexy also acknowledged that Malaysia needed to improve in both the women’s singles and doubles to do better in the Sudirman Cup.
K. Letshanaa beat Hong Kong’s Saloni Samirbhai but lost to Indonesia’s Komang Ayu in the singles.
In the women’s doubles, Teoh Mei Xing-Go Pei Kee lost both to Hong Kong’s Yeung Nga Ting-Yeung Pui Lam and Indonesia’s Meilysa Trias-Rachel Allesya.
“We have to improve in the women’s singles and doubles. In the Sudirman Cup, we will mostly be relying on the men’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles,” said Rexy.
“We have Pearly-Thinaah but we cannot keep relying on them only. I have spoken to coach Rosman (Razak) about this and he is now looking for other pairs to support them.
“As for Letshanaa, she had the belief to beat Saloni but was doubting herself against Komang and was not solid enough. So, we need to work on this with her.”
