HORSENS (Denmark), May 4 — For how long?
That is the question echoing among Malaysian badminton fans following the national team’s elusive bid to end their long wait for the Thomas Cup title during the 2026 edition at Forum Horsens, here, which concluded yesterday.
Malaysia’s campaign came to a halt in the quarter-finals after a 0-3 defeat to 12th times champions China last Friday, a result that once again exposed the gap between them and the powerhouse.
The national side previously endured a shaky group stage, edging England 3-2 before dispatching Finland 4-1, only to fall 2-3 to 2014 champions Japan, which ultimately cost them the chance to top Group B.
The lofty target set by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) to reclaim the Thomas Cup, last won in 1992, under the ‘Tangkis 2030’ blueprint introduced by president, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, had raised eyebrows from the outset.
In truth, the outcome surprised few, with men’s singles concerns lingering long before the tournament.
Ambition, after all, must be matched by depth and consistency.
The pressing question remains: did the players crumble under pressure, or are they simply not good enough to compete in this year’s edition?
Nowhere was that gap more evident than in the men’s singles.
National No. 1 men’s singles player Leong Jun Hao endured a difficult campaign, failing to deliver a single point in all three matches he featured in, marred by a straight-sets defeat to world No. 60 Joakim Oldorff of Finland, 17-21, 15-21, during the group stage.
Second singles player Justin Hoh, ranked world No. 44, flashed promise but fell short overall. He secured one group win over Finland’s Kalle Koljonen (21-14, 21-12) while struggling against higher seeds like Japan’s world No. 19 Yushi Tanaka (15-21, 12-21) and China’s world No. 7 Li Shi Feng (14-21, 13-21).
The inconsistency has become a growing concern, particularly under the guidance of national coaching director Kenneth Jonassen, who has previously worked with world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen from Denmark.
Despite Jonassen’s arrival last year, progress in the singles camp has yet to translate into results as Jun Hao is still searching for a breakthrough title, while Justin’s best showing remains a runner-up finish at the 2025 Macau Open.
The 51-year-old Dane himself had stressed that players must take ownership of their development rather than relying solely on coaching, underlining the need for greater accountability within the squad.
Professional men’s singles player Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin made little impact in his sole outing, losing 16-21, 15-21 to England’s world No. 153 Cholan Kayan in the Group B opener.
Amid Malaysia’s singles struggles, professional men’s singles shuttler, world No. 82 Lee Zii Jia, provided the silver lining as their most consistent performer, notching three wins from three, including an upset over Japan’s world No. 20 Koki Watanabe (21-13, 21-19) in the final Group B tie.
After a challenging spell exacerbated by injuries since 2024, Zii Jia’s resurgence offers a glimmer of hope.
The question now is whether the 2021 All England champion can build on this momentum and climb back into the world’s top tier, as he aims to return to at least the top 30 by the end of this year.
In the meantime, Malaysia’s biggest weapon and their top men’s doubles pair, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, found themselves unable to turn the tide when it mattered most, particularly against China’s formidable duo Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang in the last eight.
The 2022 world champions pushed hard in the opening game before going down 22-24, but struggled to maintain their intensity in the second, eventually losing 14-21, a defeat that handed China a crucial 2-0 lead in the quarter-final tie.
Aaron-Wooi Yik’s struggles against the world No. 5 pair remain a concern as they have now lost 10 of 13 meetings, highlighting a tactical and mental hurdle.
If they are to return to their peak and mount a serious challenge for gold at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, greater urgency and taming unforced errors will unlock wins.
Malaysia’s decision to reshuffle their doubles combinations by splitting Aaron and Wooi Yik to partner Tee Kai Wun and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, respectively, in the final group stage clash against Japan also raised questions of its impact on rhythm and momentum heading into the last eight.
Whether that tactical gamble disrupted their sharpness is debatable, but as an experienced pair, Aaron and Wooi Yik are expected to deliver regardless of circumstances.
If Malaysia continues to rely heavily on its doubles without strengthening the singles department with the current pool of players available, a difficult path may lie ahead in future editions.
Despite the disappointment in the Thomas Cup Finals 2026, there were encouraging signs from the national women’s squad in the Uber Cup Finals 2026 after they reached the quarter-finals for the first time in 16 years.
With top women’s doubles player Pearly Tan sidelined due to a back injury before the tournament, the national squad, with half of whom were debutants, still managed to produce a creditable showing.
Malaysia opened their Group B campaign by edging Turkiye 3-2 and outplaying South Africa 5-0, before suffering a 1-4 defeat to six-time champions Japan. Their journey ended in the last eight following a 0-3 loss to defending champions China.
Young women’s doubles pair Low Zi Yu-Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan emerged as the standout performers, highlighted by a stunning upset over world No. 7 duo Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi, 21-17, 12-21, 21-19, to secure Malaysia’s only point against Japan.
Another pair, Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting, also impressed despite falling to world No. 1 pair Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning, 14-21, 21-16, 13-21, in their first-ever meeting, during the last eight tie against China.
However, team captain M. Thinaah endured a difficult campaign as she was unable to secure a win in two matches alongside Xin Yee, including a narrow loss to Bengisu Ercetin-Nazlican Inci 22-20, 19-21, 19-21 and 9-21, 9-21 defeat to Japan’s Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto.
National No. 1 women’s singles K. Letshanaa, on the other hand, showed significant improvement by showing great fighting spirit against top-tier opponents despite going down to world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 19-21, 17-21 and world No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi from China 17-21, 18-21.
Promise shows, but BAM cannot rest on its laurels and must keep building its women’s shuttlers for a stronger next outing.
While China underlined its dominance by retaining the Thomas Cup title with a 3-1 win over France, other nations may need to take note of a rising ‘French revolution’ led by singles players Christo Popov, Alex Lanier and Toma Junior Popov, who could emerge as serious threats in individual tournaments.
In the Uber Cup Finals 2026, South Korea, led by world No. 1 women’s singles star An Se Young, capped a superb campaign by securing a third title after dethroning defending champion China, 3-1.
Till then, ‘Tak’ (thank you in Danish), Horsens, see you in the 2028 edition!
