BANGKOK: Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz is standing by doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky after our shuttlers failed to meet the four-gold target in the SEA Games.
Women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah were the sole gold medallists for Malaysia, while other hopefuls Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (men’s doubles) and Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei (mixed doubles) returned home with a silver and bronze, respectively.
Rexy had said that he accepted full responsibility for the players’ performances and was ready to step down if called to do so.
Tengku Zafrul, though, has given the Indonesian his backing, saying that failure in a single tournament does not erase the fact that Rexy played an important role in Malaysia’s historic success in the World Championships in Paris in August.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei became the first Malaysians to win the world title in the mixed doubles, while Pearly-Thinaah had been the first to win silver in women’s doubles.
"I appreciate Rexy’s frank statement, but my stance is clear. We still need him," Zafrul said on social media on Monday (Dec 15).
"Experience and development philosophy cannot be measured in one tournament. National squad building is a long-term process.
"One failure does not erase a huge success this year. We emerged as mixed doubles world champions and for the first time, women’s doubles reached the final in the World Championships.
"The SEA Games teaches a valuable lesson. It’s not an easy stage for us.
"We accept that not all targets were met. We will learn to fix weaknesses and rise again more mature. This is not the end but a stepping stone," he added.
Zafrul also pointed out that Malaysia exceeded the total medal target of seven.
The team managed to bring back nine medals overall.
