PETALING JAYA: The All-England campaign may have ended in the second round for national men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao but he remains determined to stay true to his journey in the sport.
The 25-year-old’s run in Birmingham came to a halt after losing 9-21, 13-21 to Koki Watanabe of Japan.
Jun Hao had stepped into the court with strong motivation.
Not only had he silenced many critics by knocking out world No. 13 Kenta Nishimoto of Japan in the opening round, he had also won all four of his previous meetings against Watanabe.
But all went wrong against Watanabe.
Jun Hao knows the defeat will invite more criticism but brushed aside the criticism and pressure, saying he understood his own journey best and that the challenges were part of the process he has to go through.
“I’ll just keep doing my things right. Even with the pressure, I feel the journey is mine, so I will keep doing what I feel is correct, stay consistent and keep going,” said Jun Hao.
“It’s not an easy mission for me, so I just need to maintain my focus and take it step by step.”
The defeat also marked the end of Malaysia’s men’s singles challenge at the All-England.
It also marked the end of Jun Hao’s European campaign as he will not be competing in the next two tournaments, the Swiss Open starting next Tuesday, followed by the Orleans Masters from March 17-22.
Jun Hao, however, will be hoping to be in good physical condition when he competes in the Asian Championships in Ningbo, China, from April 7-12.
Earlier, Jun Hao had complained of discomfort in his back during his match against Nishimoto.
With three weeks of training, Jun Hao will have ample of time to shape up for the April outing.
