THREE years ago, fans in raptures of great expectations, gushed about Malaysian shuttlers going to end the country’s wait for the elusive Olympic gold medal in 2020 in Tokyo.
But today, grim reality is sinking in — Malaysian shuttlers will even find it hard to win at a much lower level — the Sea Games. Forget the Olympics.
BAM even used to send their second stringers to the Sea Games, as part of their development work.
A total of seven gold medals are at stake at the Phillippine Sea Games on Nov 30-Dec 11. At the 2017 edition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia won one gold, five silver and two bronze.
Following the retirement of former World No 1 Lee Chong Wei, Malaysia have found it hard to match countries like Thailand and Indonesia in producing top notch players.
This was glaringly evident at the recent World Championships in Basel, Switzerland, when Malaysia returned home empty-handed.
BAM and the National Sports Council have set a target of two gold medals at the Philippine Sea Games but is it a realistic goal?
BAM coaching director, Wong Choong Hann admitted that Malaysia are no longer among the heavyweights in international badminton.
He urged the country’s young players to up their game to make the quantum leap to world beaters.
“This (decline) is really happening and we must accept the fact that the entire squad are going through a transition process. We cannot just remain in this situation. How are we going to come back stronger ?
“The players have no other choice but to adapt the mindset of a winner. This is where you display your never-say-die attitude.
“Not just in competitions or when you feel good, but all the time, even during training ,” Choong Hann told Timesport yesterday.
While players like Lee Zii Jia (men’s singles) and Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik ( men’s doubles) have what it takes to be world class, consistency remains their biggest problem.
While not discounting the importance of physical fitness, Choong Hann said the players need both brawn and brains to be succe ssful.
“They (the players) may not like to hear it, but this is me being frank.
“One good example would be Indones i a’s men’s doubles, Muhammad AhsanHendra Setiawan, who recently won their third world title in Basel.
“They are not young anymore, and our players would definitely beat them in a 400m race, but why are they still so strong?
“It’s how they think and act. They have built a solid partnership over the years that they understand the game so well.
“Do you think they rely on physical strength alone? No way!” added former World No 1 Choong Hann.
The shine of gold for Malaysia from the Land of the Rising Sun is hardly bright. Serious groundwork must start now for the country ’s shuttlers to be strong contenders at the 2024 Paris Olympics.