KUALA LUMPUR: The chances of Malaysia ending a 34-year wait to lift the Thomas Cup appear slim for the 2026 edition, says badminton legend Datuk Rashid Sidek.
He said the underwhelming performances of the national men’s singles players in recent times suggest that Malaysia will face a difficult mission at the Finals to be held from April 24 to May 3 in Horsens, Denmark.
“Realistically, it is very difficult (for Malaysia) to become champions. One of the factors is our men’s singles line-up, and from there alone you can already see the disadvantage compared to other countries that have top-10 players,” he said.
“Which of our men’s singles players became World Tour champions last year? If there were any, they were not at major tournaments. Also look at our top player Leong Jun Hao, who was eliminated early in five tournaments he participated in this year.
“It is not that we are underestimating him, but that is the fact,” he added.
Apart from Jun Hao, who is ranked world No. 23, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) will also rely on Justin Hoh (No. 40), Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin (No. 52) and professional player Lee Zii Jia (No. 83) to shoulder the nation’s challenge.
The last World Tour title for Malaysia came through Zii Jia, who won the 2024 Australian Open (Super 500), while Aidil Sholeh was the last selected Thomas Cup 2026 squad member to win a title, clinching the 2025 Sri Lanka International Challenge.
Rashid said Malaysia’s strength in men’s doubles is not enough to offset their shortcomings in the singles.
“Our strength is more in doubles, but if one pair loses, it will cause major problems for the team. We need two points from doubles if we want to win. So, the men’s singles must also step up,” he said.
Malaysia’s men’s doubles challenge will be led by world No. 2 pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, as well as Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, and professional pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Mohd Rumsani.
Rashid, who was part of the squad that last lifted the Thomas Cup for Malaysia in 1992, said reaching the semi-finals would already be considered a good achievement based on the current line-up in Horsens.
“If they manage to reach the semi-finals, it would be good with the current squad we have. A medal would be in hand, and at least national pride would be preserved,” he said.
Malaysia have been drawn in Group B with Japan, England and Finland.
As for the Uber Cup squad, Rashid said the return of world No. 2 pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah would strengthen Malaysia’s challenge after they missed the previous edition in Chengdu, China, to focus on preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Although the national team may reach the quarter-finals, they are expected to face a tough challenge in securing a place in the semi-finals.
“China, Indonesia and South Korea are strong teams in the Uber Cup. If we meet any of those three teams in the quarter-finals, the players can fight, but winning would be very difficult,” he said.
Other players in the Uber Cup squad are K. Letshanaa along with Wong Ling Ching, Siti Zulaikha Azmi and professional player Goh Jin Wei in the singles, while the women’s doubles pairs are Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting and Low Zi Yu-Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan.
The women’s team have been drawn in Group B with Japan, Türkiye and South Africa. — Bernama
