PETALING JAYA: Young shuttler Kong Wei Xiang believes the experience gained playing against Indonesia’s Anthony Ginting in the Asia Team Championships will prove invaluable.
The 17-year-old was thrown into the deep end against the experienced Anthony in the all-important deciding singles match in the group stage and nearly pulled off a huge upset.
Wei Xiang, who is currently ranked No. 343 in the world, fought valiantly against the 2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist before going down 17-21, 21-13, 16-21 in Qingdao, China on Thursday.
Malaysia narrowly went down 2-3 in the overall tie before the team’s campaign ended after a 0-3 defeat to Japan in the last eight.
Despite the team’s exit, there were some positives from an inexperienced lineup of players including Wei Xiang, who was making his debut in a senior team event.
“The match against Anthony, a player of his calibre and experience, was an incredible challenge,” said Wei Xiang.
“I gave it everything I had, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have tested myself at that level.
“While the result wasn’t what I wanted, the experience has given me a lot of confidence and valuable lessons that I will carry forward into my future tournaments. It showed me the level I am working towards.”
Wei Xiang believes he still needs to sharpen his attacking game if he wants to overcome higher-ranked opponents in the future.
“One key takeaway is that I felt I was able to match the speed of play at that elite level, which is a big confidence boost for my defence and anticipation,” said Wei Xiang.
“However, the match also clearly highlighted an area I need to strengthen which is my ability to launch powerful, consistent attacks from the back of the court.
“To beat top players, I need to turn those defensive retrievals into more threatening offensive opportunities. That’s a major focus for my training going forward.”
Wei Xiang, who hails from Bukit Mertajam, Penang has already proven himself to be one of Malaysia’s brightest prospects after capturing both the Under-18 and Under-21 national titles.
Wei Xiang is out to continue his promising form when he competes next in the Dutch Junior International from Feb 25-March 1 in Haarlem.
