KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 — The national men’s squad secured an easy passage to the quarter-finals of the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) 2024 when they were drawn in Group B with Taiwan, Kazakhstan and Brunei.

At the draw which was broadcast live on the Facebook site of the Selangor State Sports Council (MSN), the national men’s team who are the defending champions of the 2022 edition were in luck when they were not picked with three-time champions Indonesia (2020, 2018, 2016) in Group D with South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Group A is considered a "death” group when the line-up comprises top seeds China, the 2022 Thomas Cup champions, India and Hong Kong, while Group C is made up of Japan, Thailand, Singapore and Myanmar.

Meanwhile, in the women’s category, Malaysia are drawn into Group Y with Thailand and the UAE, while defending champions Indonesia were drawn into Group X with Hong Kong and Kazakhstan.

Group W will see top seeds China and India while Japan, Taiwan and Singapore are in Group Z.

The top two teams of each group will advance to the quarter-finals.

Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) is fielding its strongest line-up for the BATC 2024 challenge by listing national men’s singles champions Lee Zii Jia, Ng Tze Yong, Justin Hoh, Eogene Ewe for singles.

In men’s doubles, Malaysia will be represented by 2022 world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and Choong Hon Jian-Muhammad Haikal Nazri.

For the women’s squad, Goh Jin Wei, K. Letshanaa, Wong Ling Ching and Siti Nurshuhaini Azman will head the challenge in singles while the pairs of Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, Teoh Mei Xing-Go Pei Kee and Low Yeen Yuan-Tan Zhing Yi will feature in doubles.

BAM is setting the target of at least reaching the semi-finals for the national squad at the tournament scheduled to take place at Setia City Convention Centre, Shah Alam, from February 13 to 18.

In the meantime, Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) coaching director Rexy Mainaky is optimistic that the national teams will be able to advance to the quarter-finals looking at the draw.

"We have got athletes prepared for quarter-finals because of the draw and women’s team will also go to quarter-finals as I have told all the players to focus on that and give the fans and the nation something to cheer for.

"Hopefully all the players will fight, since we did not do well in Malaysia Open. Hopefully this time they will bring some happy moments,” he said after the draw ceremony.

BATC is a qualifying stage for the 2024 Thomas and Uber Cup competitions as well as offering ranking points for the qualifying to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. — Bernama