Time for Malaysian badminton to arrest serious decline at World Tour Finals

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s badminton is on a sharp decline compared to other powerhouses if the World Tour Finals is to be used as an indication of the nation’s growth in the sport over the last six years.

No Malaysian shuttler has won in the season finale since the Tour Finals was introduced in 2018. The Finals gathers the world’s best top eight singles and pairs, based on their consistent performances throughout the year.

In fact, Malaysia have never featured in any of the five finals since 2018.

It is worse in the women’s singles as no Malaysian has qualified for this event over the last six years.

There are a few who have made it to the semi-finals and they are men’s singles (Lee Zii Jia, 2021), men’s doubles (Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi 2021), mixed doubles (Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie, 2020; Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying, 2021; Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing, 2022).

There have been more professionals in the finale compared to Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) players, further underlining the lack of talents coming through the national set-up that have spent millions to produce new stars.

Malaysia used to produce winners when the season finale was known as the Super Series Finals from 2008 to 2017.

The champions were men’s singles shuttler Lee Chong Wei (2008, 2009, 2010, 2013); Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (2008), Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong (2016); Wong Mew Choo (2009); and Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty (2008, 2009).

Can former world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik or Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei buck the trend this year with the Finals offering the biggest prize money worth US$2.5mil (RM11.7mil) in total?

Both BAM pairs have qualified but they know it would not be easy to reach the semi-finals.

They have to finish as the top two pairs in their respective groups to advance to the knockout stage.

Aaron-Wooi Yik are playing in their fourth edition in the last six years but they have never gone beyond the group stage.

In a press conference recently, Aaron said: “Our past records in this tournament is not good but all pairs who have qualified have an equal chance of winning.”

The draw will be done today but Aaron-Wooi Yi have to produce their A-game to stand a chance of winning against any of these pairs – China’s Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang, Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi; Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto, Shohibul Fikri-Bagas Maulana; Japan’s Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi; South Korea’s reigning world champions Kang Min-hyuk-Seo Seung-jae; and Denmark’s Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen.

Debutants Tang Jie-Ee Wei also have to deal with strong title contenders in China’s world No. 1 Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong, Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping; Japan’s world No. 2 Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino; South Korea’s reigning world champions Seo Seung-jae-Chae Yu-jung, Kim Won-ho-Jeong Na-eun; Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai and Hong Kong’s Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet.

Hopes are high on the Malaysians to reach the final at least, but a title will surely be an icing on the cake.