The Kidslympic family: Former badminton great Goh Liu Ying posing with the pickleball players.
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian badminton may not have hit all their targets this year, but there are enough encouraging signs to believe the sport is heading in the right direction.
Describing the season as one of transition, former mixed doubles ace and Olympic silver medallist Goh Liu Ying said the year had been a testing yet promising one for Malaysia’s shuttlers.
Malaysia won the mixed doubles world title through Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei; collected several Open titles through Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun (men’s doubles) and Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (women’s doubles).
Pearly-Thinaah also emerged as the world championships runners-up and were the sole gold medal contributors at the Thailand SEA Games recently.
“There were ups and downs, but we also saw positive signs, especially in terms of depth and exposure for younger players,” said Liu Ying.
“While consistency is still something we need to work on, the results show that Malaysian badminton is moving in the right direction, even if we are not fully where we want to be yet.”
Liu Ying singled out France’s Christo Popov as the player who impressed her most this year, highlighting the standards Malaysian players must aspire to.
Popov ended the year on a high by beating world No. 1 Shi Yuqi of China in the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou on Sunday.
“Winning the men’s singles title in China is never easy and it’s one of the toughest tournaments to win and to beat a homester is special,” she said.
“Coming from France, a country that traditionally do not place much focus on badminton, his journey is really inspiring.
“From playing multiple disciplines earlier on to becoming stronger and more consistent in singles, you can clearly see his growth, confidence, and belief on court.”
Liu Ying however took pride in how far Malaysia’s mixed doubles department has come.
“When Peng Soon and I started, mixed doubles wasn’t even considered a focused department in Malaysia,” said Liu Ying.
“Today, we have multiple pairs competing at the highest level and challenging the world’s best.
“It shows that with belief, patience, and proper structure, mixed doubles can grow into a strong and respected discipline.”
Looking ahead to 2026, Liu Ying believes smarter planning rather than sweeping changes will be crucial if Malaysia are to enjoy a stronger and more consistent year.
Meanwhile, Liu Ying yesterday announced that pickleball has been included as one of the sports in the Kidslympic programme for next year.
