KUALA LUMPUR – National badminton coaching director Rexy Mainaky has apologised to fans and sponsors for the failure of local shuttlers at the Malaysia Open, with the former Olympic gold medalist taking full responsibility for the mishap.
In an Instagram post, Rexy promised that for upcoming tournaments (India Open and Indonesian Masters), the players will work harder to achieve better results.
“I have to give motivation to the players and coaches despite their mistakes and deficiencies so they can improve upon that.
“I hope the players will fight until the end of every tournament that they take part in.
“Challenge yourself and keep telling yourself that you can fight with a lion’s heart because every step is not easy.
“You need to fight for your dream because every player around the world has the same dream as you. God bless,” the read the caption of the post.
The country’s challenge at the home tournament ended yesterday in the quarterfinals after Aaron Chia-Soh Woi Yik and independent pair Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi lost to their respective opponents.
On Tuesday, independent men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia exited the tournament in the first round for the second year in a row.
It did not get better as Ng Tze Yong had to withdraw due a back injury sustained during his match against Koki Watanabe.
It was later revealed that the 23-year-old sustained a muscle tear in his back and will be out of the India Open.
National number one mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei exited the tournament in the second round after losing to Hiroki Midorikawa-Natsu Saito of Japan, which left Rexy frustrated with their performance. – January 13, 2024