Malaysia’s long wait for an Asian Games badminton gold medal will continue after the Aichi-Nagoya Games ended with just one bronze, leaving the national team facing more questions than answers.
Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah provided Malaysia’s only medal in badminton, securing bronze in the women’s doubles. Their achievement ended a 12-year wait for a women’s doubles medal at the Asian Games, following Woon Khe Wei and Vivian Hoo’s bronze at the 2014 Incheon Games.
However, former national player Datuk Razif Sidek believes the medal haul fell short of what Malaysia had hoped to achieve.
Malaysia had targeted at least one silver and one bronze before the Games, but several of the country's main medal contenders failed to make the expected impact.
One of the biggest talking points was the decision to pair Aaron Chia with Tee Kai Wun for the men’s doubles competition.
The newly formed partnership was handed a difficult second-round draw against world No. 1 Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae, eventually losing 19-21, 16-21.
Source: NST
Razif believes the situation could have been different had Aaron remained with his regular partner Soh Wooi Yik. Their established partnership would have been seeded, potentially giving them a more favourable route through the draw.
He said the decision to change partnerships ahead of a major tournament highlighted the importance of considering the impact on seeding and the draw.
Although Aaron and Tee managed to produce a strong performance in the team event, their partnership lacked the experience and consistency of established combinations.
The other major disappointment came from Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, who were among Malaysia’s key medal hopes but exited without reaching the later stages.
Razif admitted it was difficult to explain why the pair struggled to reproduce their best form, noting that high expectations can sometimes affect a player's performance.
There were still encouraging moments for Malaysia during the Games. Pearly and Thinaah had a genuine opportunity to go further before losing to China's Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning in the semi-finals.
The bronze was their country's first Asian Games women's doubles medal since 2014, giving Malaysia at least one positive from the campaign.
However, the bigger concern remains Malaysia's prolonged wait for a badminton gold medal at the Asian Games.
The country's last gold came in 2006, when Tan Boon Heong and Koo Kien Keat won the men's doubles title in Doha. Twenty years later, Malaysia is still waiting for another badminton champion at the Games.
The one-bronze haul in Aichi-Nagoya also matched Malaysia's badminton medal return from Hangzhou 2022, when Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik were the country's only medallists.
For the Badminton Association of Malaysia, the latest campaign provides another opportunity to examine its selections, partnerships and preparation ahead of the next major international events.
The bronze from Pearly and Thinaah offers encouragement, but Malaysia's search for an Asian Games badminton gold continues.
