PETALING JAYA: What is lacking is that little extra in the finishing.
This, according to doubles legend Park Joo-bong, is the perennial problem of Malaysian athletes.
The South Korean great Joo-bong, who spent almost two decades with Japan as a coach before returning to South Korea last year, was the man behind the court when Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae stood solid to deny Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik their first All-England title on Sunday.
Aaron-Wooi Yik, playing in their third All-England final, had held the lead in the deciding game but eventually lost after several errors during the critical stage, handing the world No. 1 Koreans their second All-England title.
Joo-bong was frank and blunt with his assessment, saying it was an area the Malaysian team had been trying to rectify for decades.
“In the final, Aaron-Wooi Yik’s game was threatening but their finishing was insufficient,” said Joo-bong.
“This is not just an issue for them, but also a problem for Malaysian players.”
Despite putting up a superb fighting display and raising the ante, Wooi Yik admitted that a smash which went wide at 16-15 proved costly as the title slipped away from their grasp while the Koreans pressed on to win.
Even their coaches Herry Iman Pierngadi and Rexy Mainaky were left ruing the missed opportunities.
Joo-bong knows Malaysian players well, having trained an earlier batch such as Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah, Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng, and Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Fairuzizuan Tazari in the early 1990s.
Later, the 2007 All-England champions Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and the pair of Tan Wee Kiong-Goh V Shem carried the mantle to keep Malaysia competitive in the men’s doubles.
However, major titles have been scarce in recent years, with the world title captured by Aaron-Wooi Yik in 2023 and the mixed doubles crown won by Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei in 2024 among the few notable triumphs.
Aaron-Wooi Yik also did well to win bronze medals at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games, while singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia took bronze in Paris.
Herry, Rexy and singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen now have the unenviable task of bridging the gap further as Malaysia look ahead to the Thomas Cup Finals in Horsens, Denmark, from April 24-May 4, the World Championships in New Delhi from Aug 17-23 and the Asian Games in Japan from Sept 24-Oct 3.
Indonesian Herry’s goal is to produce another world champion, which means Aaron-Wooi Yik and Man Wei Chong-Tan Kian Meng will have to play their part – by starting strong and finishing even stronger.
