National shuttler Wong Ling Ching admits needing to improve physical, mental and skill aspects to consistently challenge world’s top players.
NATIONAL women’s singles shuttler Wong Ling Ching acknowledges a significant gap remains between her current level and the world’s elite badminton players.
The 22-year-old believes she must strengthen three key areas – physical conditioning, mental toughness and technical skill – to consistently challenge top-ranked opponents.
Ling Ching’s assessment follows her impressive 21-17, 16-21, 21-19 victory over world number 15 Michelle Li of Canada at the Japan Masters earlier this month.
That 62-minute match marked her first-ever win against a player ranked within the world’s top 15.
“For the third tournament, my physical level was on the wane,” she said after training at Akademi Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara.
“My legs lost that explosive power that I had, and that made it difficult for me to show my true colours.”
Ling Ching identified mental strength and technical skill as additional areas requiring improvement to compete with elite shuttlers.
“I feel that in terms of my skill and mental strength, I need to be better and stronger,” she explained.
“That’s what differentiates me from the elite group.”
Despite recognizing these gaps, Ling Ching remains satisfied with her progress throughout the year.
Her achievements include reaching the Malaysia Super 100 final in October and the Canada Open quarter-finals in July.
When asked about surpassing compatriot K. Letshanaa as Malaysia’s top women’s singles player, Ling Ching prioritized breaking into the world’s top 30 rankings.
Ling Ching currently holds the 42nd position globally, just one spot behind Letshanaa.
Her victory over Michelle Li provides confidence that she can achieve higher levels in international badminton.
