PETALING JAYA: Malaysia will head to the SEA Games in Thailand in December with their strongest badminton line-up, but national doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky has warned that there are no guarantees of an easy gold haul.
Rexy pointed out that regional rivals Thailand and Indonesia will also be fielding strong squads in their quest for gold at the biennial Games from Dec 8-20.
As hosts, Thailand will be out to defend their pride and boost their overall gold medal tally, while Indonesia, who have struggled for consistency on the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour, will be looking to make a statement in Bangkok.
“Even though we’re fielding a full team, that doesn’t mean we’ll win two or three gold medals,” said Rexy.
“Thailand, as hosts, will send their best players as they always do. Indonesia, given their current situation and lack of recent titles, will see this as a chance to win big.
“In the team event, we will likely face a tight contest with Indonesia because our strength is about 50-50.
“For the individual events, we also have to consider the tight schedule, which is very close to the World Tour Finals (Dec 17-21).”
Based on Rexy’s assessment, Malaysia stand a realistic chance of returning with a minimum of two gold medals.
“Our best chances are in the mixed doubles and women’s doubles. These two events offer the brightest prospects.
“For the mixed doubles, I would say it’s 50-50 because Thais will be playing on home soil.
“As for women’s doubles (Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah), if they’re in top condition, they can win the gold. But we don’t want to put too much pressure on them, especially since it will be their first SEA Games and they’re genuinely eager to play,” he added.
