PETALING JAYA: National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky is not losing sleep over calls from some fans for him to step down after Malaysia fell short of their badminton medal target at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Malaysia returned with just one bronze medal through women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, who became the country’s first pair in the event to win an Asian Games medal since Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei at Incheon 2014.
The haul was below Rexy’s target of at least one silver and one bronze.
While he accepts the criticism that has come his way, Rexy said he will continue to carry out his responsibilities.
"That is their right (to call for my resignation). I don’t want to comment. They can say whatever they want," said Rexy.
Much of the criticism has centred on the decision by Rexy and men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi to field scratch pair Aaron Chia-Tee Kai Wun.
Aaron-Kai Wun were knocked out in the second round by world No. 1 Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae, but did deliver a point in the team quarter-final tie against Indonesia but it ended in vain as Malaysia lost 2-3.
The decision to field them prompted questions over whether Aaron should instead have remained with regular partner Soh Wooi Yik.
Aaron-Wooi Yik were bronze medallists at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2022.
While Rexy felt there may be some truth in the criticism, he stressed that the pairings were not decided lightly.
He said the coaching team had taken into account the players’ form in the months leading up to the Games before settling on the pairings.
"For me, it is their right to speak and maybe they are also right when it comes to a major event like this.
"But we have to look back at the condition of the players from the beginning of the year until before the Asian Games.
"They started well but their performances gradually dropped. It was not only Aaron-Wooi Yik, but also Kai Wun and Man Wei Chong.
"On the other hand, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani were improving, so we had to make a decision and look for the best option. It was not something we did just for the sake of doing it.
"People can say Aaron-Wooi Yik showed their best form at the World Championships, and Wooi Yik proved himself there.
"That was what we wanted to see because their results in several tournaments before that had not been encouraging.
"Aaron-Wooi Yik and Kai Wun-Wei Chong are top-level players. We do not want them to start treating defeats as something normal.
"But after we separated them and then paired them together again, they were able to produce good results," he added.
