KUALA LUMPUR — Rising men’s singles shuttler Justin Hoh must prepare for a challenging road ahead, including painful defeats, if he is to develop into a world-class player.
Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen, who has been working closely with Justin for the past four months since arriving from Denmark, recognises the youngster’s immense potential but stresses the importance of adopting a strong developmental mindset.
Speaking to Scoop after Justin made an impressive start to his Asian Championships debut in Ningbo, China, Jonassen said the right approach will be key to Justin’s long-term progress.
“The development mindset is still very important for Justin, as well as self-belief,” said Jonassen.
“In modern badminton, a development mindset is crucial — of course, we all want to win, but learning from every experience is the most valuable part of the journey.”
Justin, who turned 21 last week, advanced to the BAC main draw after winning both his matches in the qualifying rounds to top Group A.
At the Ningbo Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium, the world number 48 Malaysian cruised past Iran’s Amirhossein Hasani 21-6, 21-14, before defeating the Philippines’ Jewel Angelo Albo 21-14, 21-9.
He will now face South Korea’s top player, Jeon Hyeok Jin, in the first round, joining fellow Malaysians Ng Tze Yong and Leong Jun Hao in the tournament proper.
Jonassen had previously spoken about Tze Yong’s recovery over the past two months from a lower back injury that had sidelined him for more than a year.
Like Tze Yong, Justin has also endured his share of injury setbacks. He ruptured his Achilles tendon in April 2023, which sidelined him for over six months. After making a return, he then suffered a knee injury.
Despite this, the Kuala Lumpur-born shuttler has shown remarkable determination, breaking back into the world’s top 50. But Jonassen was quick to remind him that patience remains essential.
“After my first three months with him, I can say Justin is a talented young man with a strong drive to reach the top,” said Jonassen.
“Learning what it takes to compete at the next level is now a crucial part of his development — not just in tournaments, but also in daily training. At the same time, he must accept that the journey will be bumpy.
“Handling the mental aspect, coping with losses, acquiring new skills, and having the patience to grow are all challenging for a young player — but absolutely necessary to become a master of the game,” added Jonassen, who is widely credited for the success of two-time Olympic and world champion Viktor Axelsen and current European champion Anders Antonsen.
Meanwhile, another of Jonassen’s trainees at the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM), women’s singles player Wong Ling Ching, also qualified for the BAC main draw.
After receiving a walkover from Hong Kong’s Happy Lo Sin Yan, Ling Ching defeated Myanmar’s Thet Htar Thuzar 21-11, 21-16 in the qualifying round.
She will face world number 39 Komang Ayu Cahaya Dewi of Indonesia in the opening round.
“I was very pleased with her performance,” said Jonassen.
“She varied her playing style well and made her opponent uncomfortable. A good win.” — April 8, 2025