HANGZHOU: Former world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei has called on Malaysian badminton fans not to give up on the Malaysian badminton squad despite their mixed performance at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
The Malaysian players fell short of their target of two silver and one bronze, concluding their Asiad campaign with one bronze, achieved by former men's doubles world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik.
Chong Wei, a former Asian Games silver medallist, is in Hangzhou to support the Malaysian contingent as a member of the Road to Gold (RTG) committee.
Following Aaron-Wooi Yik's exit in the semi-finals on Friday, Chong Wei met with the Malaysian press to discuss what to expect from the RTG committee.
Last month, RTG program coordinator Datuk Stuart Ramalingam revealed that athletes within the programme would be reviewed after the Asian Games.
When asked whether any shuttlers would be dropped from the prrogramme, Chong Wei said: "For now, nothing is decided.
"We will have a meeting on Oct 12 to discuss this.
"I know that we fell short of our target in badminton, but I hope the fans and everyone back home will not lose faith in our athletes.
"With everyone's support, I believe the players can learn from their losses and become stronger in the future.
"I have participated in four Olympics. What I can do is share my experience with the players."
Chong Wei also addressed the performances of two Malaysian men's singles players, former All England champion Lee Zii Jia and world No. 19 Ng Tze Yong.
Both Zii Jia and Tze Yong lost in their respective matches during the team event and reached the quarter-finals of the individual event.
Zii Jia fought gallantly but lost to India's H. S. Prannoy, while Tze Yong found World Championships runner-up Kodai Naraoka of Japan too hot to handle.
"Zii Jia has improved, and his style of play has changed. He is playing more patiently now and is not solely relying on his attacking prowess.
"He is engaging in multi-shot confrontations, which is beneficial for his development. We hope he continues to progress to the next level."
"As for Tze Yong, I have spoken to coaches Rexy Mainaky and Hendrawan to explore ways to enhance his game.
"In terms of strategy, he has shown improvement, but he needs to work on his lower body strength. His footwork needs to be more robust. This was evident in his match against Naraoka.
"After the first game, Tze Yong struggled to keep up with his opponent's speed. He is aware of this," added Chong Wei, acknowledging the tight schedule for players to recover and perform.
Chong Wei added: "The players don't have much time. Tomorrow (today), they leave for Finland for the Super 500 Clash of Clans Open.
"Players like Tze Yong need to strive for Olympic ranking points and improve their world rankings quickly."
At the previous Games in Jakarta-Palembang, the Malaysian badminton squad returned empty-handed.
In 2014 in Incheon, Chong Wei led the squad to four bronze medals.
Malaysia last won a gold medal when men's doubles Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong claimed victory at the 2006 Doha Games.