PETALING JAYA: Team captain Aaron Chia insists the Thomas Cup Finals disappointment is not the end for him and his teammates, as they look to bounce back stronger in future tournaments.
Malaysia’s campaign in Horsens came to an end after a 3-0 defeat to 11-time champions China in the quarter finals.
More frustratingly, Aaron and his partner Soh Wooi Yik, who were counted on to deliver a point, fell short after losing to Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang for the 10th time.
Aaron felt Malaysia had done their best in the tournament, even though the squad was not as strong as some of the other teams on paper.
In comparison, Malaysia’s showing could be seen as better than Indonesia, who suffered a shock early exit in the group stage.
South Korea, led by legendary coach Park Joo-bong, also failed to reach the quarter finals.
“I think all my teammates gave their best, even though we did not reach the semi finals or final.
“On paper, maybe our team is not as strong as teams like India, China or Taiwan.
“But even when we were trailing, we kept fighting and tried to give our best on court,” said Aaron when met at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
The national squad arrived home on Sunday (May 3) after nearly three weeks in Denmark.
For Aaron, it is important that he and his teammates use this setback as motivation to come back stronger, with several major tournaments ahead.
These include the World Championships in New Delhi from Aug 17-23 and the Asian Games in Aichi Nagoya from Sept 19-Oct 4, which will also feature a team event.
“What’s important is that we work harder for the Asian Games and the World Tour because there are still many tournaments ahead, including the World Championships. We need to work hard and discuss with the coaches what else we can improve,” he added.
