KUALA LUMPUR — Former international Datuk James Selvaraj has urged Malaysia to field experienced mixed doubles duo Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai, along with national No. 1 men’s singles player Leong Jun Hao, for their must-win Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships (BAMTC) Group B tie against Indonesia tomorrow.
Malaysia must secure victory to keep their quarter-final hopes alive after suffering a 3-2 defeat to Hong Kong today, and James believes the country must now rely on Soon Huat, Shevon, and Jun Hao against Indonesia to avoid an early exit.
Speaking to Scoop, James, who also served as the Badminton Association of Malaysia’s (BAM) high-performance director from 2010 to 2012, questioned why independents Soon Huat and Shevon were left out of the mixed doubles match against Hong Kong.
“I don’t want to call it a strategic mistake, but I’m not sure why Soon Huat and Shevon weren’t selected.
“Based on current form, they have been performing well.
“We knew the tie against Hong Kong would be tight, and the outcome might have been different,” he said.
Indonesia are all but assured of a quarter-final spot after thrashing Hong Kong 5-0 on Tuesday. Only the top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage.
Earlier, national men’s singles coach K. Yogendran defended the team’s decision to select Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin for the mixed doubles match, citing their better recent record against their Hong Kong opponents.
Similarly, the coaches opted for Justin Hoh over Jun Hao in the men’s singles due to Jun Hao’s poor head-to-head record against Hong Kong No. 1 Lee Cheuk Yiu.
Hong Kong, led by former Malaysian head coach Wong Choong Hann and three other Malaysian coaches – Tan Bin Shen, Jeremy Gan, and Loh Wei Sheng – took the lead as Tang Chun Man and Ng Tsz Yau edged Pang Ron and Su Yin 17-21, 21-17, 21-11.
Women’s singles shuttler K. Letshanaa levelled the tie with a 21-18, 21-18 win over S. Samirbhai Mehta, but world No. 21 Cheuk Yiu restored Hong Kong’s lead by defeating world No. 53 Justin 21-19, 21-16.
World No. 13 women’s doubles pair Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam then sealed the victory for Hong Kong by beating Go Pei Kee and Teoh Mei Xing 21-14, 21-17.
If there was any consolation, world No. 12 Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun outclassed Hung Kuei Chun and Lui Chun Wai 21-11, 21-13 in the men’s doubles, though the result had little impact on the overall outcome.
“It’s a tough call, but I don’t see any option other than playing Soon Huat, Shevon, and Jun Hao tomorrow. These are the players I believe can make a difference,” added James.
The top four semi-finalists from BAMTC will automatically qualify for the Sudirman Cup in April. However, Malaysia can still secure a spot in the world mixed team championship based on overall rankings. – February 12, 2025