KUALA LUMPUR – Winning an Olympic gold medal requires a collective effort from all parties, with everyone playing a crucial role in achieving this goal.
Akademi Badminton Malaysia coaching director Rexy Mainaky is baffled that so much time is spent dealing with recurring problems within the national team rather than focusing entirely on the main objective of winning an Olympic gold medal in Paris.
Rexy’s advice is intended to ensure that the badminton squad remains focused on the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
With Paris 2024 concluded, it is crucial to start preparing for the next Olympics now and not lose sight of this long-term objective.
For the record, badminton has long been Malaysia’s best bet for winning an Olympic gold medal since 1992, but it has yet to be achieved.
“Looking back before the start of the Olympics, we were here in Malaysia, aiming for the Games and hoping to achieve success. However, we were often caught up in discussions and meetings about various problems.
“We weren’t focusing on how to achieve success at the Olympics. Instead, issues kept arising. Despite attending numerous meetings intended to find solutions, the problems frequently resurfaced.
“Now, the focus seems to be on dealing with these issues rather than winning at the Olympics. This is something we need to be aware of,” said Rexy.
Before heading to Paris, the Malaysian badminton team faced several issues, including problems with accreditation card distribution, inconsistent performance by several top players and concerns related to players not competing in the Olympics, such as Ng Tze Yong’s health status.
Although the team did not achieve their target of winning a gold medal, they remain proud of their achievements, including the two bronze medals won by the men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia.
Moreover, the women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah can also take pride in their achievement of reaching the last four.
This is the furthest any Malaysian women’s doubles team has advanced, especially considering that many initially doubted their ability to progress past the group stage. – August 13, 2024