KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia may be sending a back-up squad to the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships (BAMTC) 2025 in Qingdao, China, but don’t expect them to just ‘shuttle’ through the competition.
National singles head coach Kenneth Jonassen has made it clear that the team, especially his charges, will not just be there to serve up a fight but aim for victory everytime they step onto the court during the tournament to be held from Feb 11-16.
“I think overall, when you send a team on the day we go to try to perform at our very best, if we win, great but if we lose, then we’ll look at that.
“But we are there to try to win the matches we are playing in and not just think of it as pure development. Development is also finding a way to win but I think we can agree that that’s what all are in for, trying to find a way to win,” he told reporters when met after a training session, here, today.
Malaysia are drawn in Group B alongside Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Kazakhstan. Only the top two teams from each group will qualify for the quarterfinals.
Jonassen also felt that a mounting task lie ahead for the Malaysian team should Indonesia and Hong Kong bring their strong singles players in BAMTC 2025.
However, the Dane would love to see his players face off against the best, should both teams field their top shuttlers while there.
“There’s pros and there’s cons. Of course, the pros, if you play a really top player, is that you get to face this level and the cons is that it’s going to be difficult to win. If you play a lesser strong opponent, then the pressure suddenly is on you. This a crucial opportunity to learn,” he said.
Independent mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai will be the only experienced shuttlers joining another mixed doubles pair of Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin.
World number 27, Leong Jun Hao and Justin Hoh (53) will be making up the men’s singles department in the absence of recovering professional shuttlers Lee Zii Jia and Ng Tze Yong, while K. Letshanaa (59) and Wong Ling Ching (95) have been named for women’s singles.
World number 13, and newly-crowned Indonesia Masters 2025 champions Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi (20) are to shoulder the men’s doubles task, while the women’s doubles comprise Teoh Mei Xing-Go Pei Kee (66) and Tan Zhing Yi-Cheng Su Hui.
