Malaysia’s men’s badminton team bowed out of the Badminton Asia Team Championships after a 3-0 defeat to Japan in the quarter-finals in Qingdao, China, but the result did little to dampen optimism surrounding the squad’s long-term progress.
Despite the scoreline, Malaysia’s young players showed resilience and competitiveness against one of Asia’s strongest teams, providing valuable experience as they prepare for the Thomas Cup in May.
World No. 39 Justin Hoh led the fight in the opening singles, pushing world No. 19 Yushi Tanaka to three games in a closely contested 66-minute match. Hoh claimed the first game 21-17 and narrowly lost the second 22-20 before fading in the decider to go down 21-11. His performance highlighted his growing confidence against higher-ranked opponents.
Independent shuttler Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin also impressed in his return to the national setup. He challenged world No. 23 Koki Watanabe in another three-game encounter, losing 22-20, 11-21, 21-3. Aidil’s ability to compete at this level was another encouraging sign for Malaysia’s singles department.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
Japan’s strength in depth proved decisive, particularly in doubles. World No. 18 pair Wan Arif Junaidi and Yap Roy King were outplayed by world No. 9 Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi, who secured a comfortable 21-14, 21-12 victory in just 35 minutes.
National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen acknowledged that Japan were the stronger team on the day but stressed the importance of the lessons learned. He said the tournament had provided clear insight into both the team’s strengths and the areas that require improvement. Jonassen added that the coaching staff would immediately begin using these findings to shape preparations for the Thomas Cup.
He also praised the strong team spirit and unity shown by the players throughout the competition, describing it as a key foundation for future progress.
Although the quarter-final exit meant Malaysia missed out on automatic qualification for the Thomas Cup, their chances of reaching the tournament remain strong. Currently ranked fifth in the world, Malaysia are well placed to secure one of the remaining spots through the team rankings and are expected to qualify for the 16-team event in Horsens, Denmark.
Elsewhere at the championships, Japan advanced to the semi-finals to face Indonesia, who edged Thailand 3-2. Hosts China will meet South Korea in the other last-four clash after both teams recorded 3-1 victories over Taiwan and India respectively.
.jpeg)
