PETALING JAYA: National men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao remains determined to overcome his difficult run of form and is refusing to let criticism distract him from his goal of returning to his best.
The 26-year-old admitted that his performance in the past six months has fallen short of his expectations, but remains confident he can turn things around before the year ends.
Jun Hao said he would rather focus on improving himself than let negative remarks or external pressure get the better of him.
"Overall, the first half of the year hasn’t been the best for me. But there’s still half a year left, so I hope to get better," said Jun Hao.
"I’m just focused on myself and not what others have to say. Just keeping my focus on training and what I can do."
Jun Hao had previously come under scrutiny after being named among players who had disciplinary issues within the national team.
The world No. 26 has struggled this year, having not made past the second round in any tournament, but showed encouraging progress at the Indonesian Open despite falling to France’s world No. 8 Alex Lanier.
"I’m just trying to get myself back to my best form. I know it’s not something that is easy but I have to try to get there," said Jun Hao.
Jun Hao is now preparing for the Japan Open from July 14-19 in Tokyo, followed by the China Open in Changzhou (July 21-27).
"My training and preparations have been going normally. I don’t have any specific targets, but I just want to be consistent.
"I won't be competing for almost a month, so it’s important to keep training as usual," he added.
