SHAH ALAM, Feb 19 — Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria has expressed satisfaction with the unwavering commitment and fighting spirit displayed by national players at the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) 2024, despite grappling with fitness issues among key players.

Mohamad Norza said the incident involving two singles aces, Lee Zii Jia and Ng Tze Yong, who were rested for several matches due to breathing difficulties caused by sinus and back injuries, was beyond BAM’s control.

In fact, he said Malaysia’s decision to field Leong Jun Hao as the first singles in the final against China yesterday deserved praise, as the world number 38 appeared ready to shoulder the responsibility in future championships.

“We had the strength in 2024 but faced various injury setbacks, leading to an understrength team in the final.

“Nevertheless, we congratulate the players who have given their all to reach the final stage,” he told reporters after Malaysia lost 0-3 to China in the BATC 2024 final at the Setia City Convention Centre last night.

Previously, Zii Jia was rested from the quarter-final and final due to sinus, while Tze Yong was forced to concede a walkover in the quarter-final against Singapore on Friday following a recurrence of a back injury he sustained in the Malaysia Open last month.

Tze Yong was on court for only three minutes before being forced to retire while trailing 1-3 in the first game against Jason Teh.

Mohamad Norza also opined that Malaysia’s triumph over Taiwan and Japan in the quarter-final and semi-final proved that they did not take their journey in the biennial tournament lightly.

He also expressed confidence that the coaching team, led by Rexy Mainaky, would take a proactive approach by conducting a post-mortem analysis to evaluate the national athletes’ performances in preparation for the upcoming Thomas Cup 2024 in Chengdu, China this April.

“I believe we automatically qualified for the Thomas Cup, and I am confident that with better preparation, we can compete with major contenders, particularly in our quest to reclaim the Thomas Cup (last won in 1992).

“So, I think we have already seen the pathway to the Thomas Cup, and I hope Rexy and his team can build that momentum for Chengdu,” said Mohamad Norza, who is also the co-chairman of the Road To Gold programme. — Bernama