KUALA LUMPUR: Akademi Badminton Malaysia coaching director Rexy Mainaky is 70 per cent satisfied with the overall performance of the national shuttlers this year.
Rexy said he was quite pleased to see the men’s doubles elite pairs and several backup pairs perform considerably well this season.
“Although it (the satisfaction level) did not reach 100 per cent, I am still happy to see not just the elite pairs but (also) some backup (pairs) doing well. Hopefully, we can produce more champions next year,“ he said when met at the ABM in Bukit Kiara, here, recently.
Some of the more notable achievements of the doubles departments this year included the national number one men’s doubles pair of Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik bagging their maiden Denmark Open title in October.
Kudos also to the other pairs, including Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun for defending the Taipei Open title in June and Choong Hon Jian-Muhammad Haikal Nazri for a statement win after securing the 2023 Syed Modi International badminton championships in Lucknow, India, on Dec 3 – just months after being paired up in August.
National main mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei also shone to claim two titles this year – the Orleans Masters in France in April and the Taipei Open in June.
As for the men’s singles department, the former Indonesian doubles expert wants to see less dependence on Ng Tze Yong and the likes of Leong Jun Hao and Justin Hoh to emerge stronger next year.
As for the women, the 55-year-old admitted that while the singles players struggled to produce results, the back injury sustained by top doubles ace Pearly Tan in the second half of the year took a toll on her combination with M.Thinaah, resulting in them failing to win any title in 2023.
Pearly-Thinaah’s best achievement this year was finishing runners-up twice in the Malaysia Masters in May and the Hong Kong Open in September.
As such, Rexy said the coaches will try to help Pearly strengthen her muscles to stay injury-free next year.–Bernama
