Malaysian men's singles badminton must change its mentality or risk falling further behind regional rivals, according to national legend Datuk Rashid Sidek. The warning follows a difficult fortnight at the Denmark Open and the French Open, where Leong Jun Hao suffered first-round exits, The Star reported.
Mindset Hurdles After Junior Graduation
Rashid pointed to a psychological barrier that emerges when Malaysian players transition from the junior ranks to senior international competition. While praising the country’s training facilities and raw talent base, the former great argued that mentality remains the decisive separator between Malaysia and neighboring powerhouses like Indonesia.
“The main difference is the mentality,” Rashid told The Star. “In terms of talent and facilities we are on par if not better than Indonesia, but there is always something lacking when our players graduate from the junior level.”
Rising Regional Rivals Set the Pace
Rashid's assessment is urgent because teenage talent across Asia is rising rapidly. Indonesia’s 19-year-old Moh Zaki Ubaidillah reached the French Open final despite starting the tournament ranked world No. 28. Ubaidillah defeated world No. 6 Jonatan Christie and world No. 5 Alex Lanier before falling in the final to France’s Christo Popov.
Other young players have similarly established themselves inside the top 32. Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan holds the world No. 10 ranking, Thailand’s Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul sits at No. 18, and India’s Ayush Shetty occupies the No. 20 spot. By contrast, Leong Jun Hao stands as Malaysia’s highest-ranked men’s singles player at world No. 31, while Justin Hoh and Eogene Ewe trail at No. 46 and No. 89 respectively.
Malaysian Shuttlers Lack Aggressive Tempo in High-Level Matches
Rashid highlighted a glaring tactical discrepancy in how overseas competitors approach high-level matches compared to Malaysian shuttlers. Where opponents establish an aggressive tempo immediately, national players frequently adopt a cautious opening strategy.
“Other players are always faster and attacking from the start of the match but the Malaysians tend to take a slower approach especially at the start,” Rashid said. “This won’t work in high-level tournaments like the French Open.”
He added that players must shed their hesitancy to unlock their full competitive capacity on the global circuit. “They’re not brave enough. In terms of technique, quality and their skills they have it all. But they’re not brave enough to push themselves. Something needs to be done so that they start giving 100 percent every game. Right now they’re stuck at 80 percent. Once that block clears, we can be on par with the best in no time.”
Upcoming World Tour Finals Stakes
Leong Jun Hao remains Malaysia’s primary hope for qualification to the season-ending World Tour Finals. With the international calendar pressing forward, the national coaching staff faces mounting pressure to address the singles deficit following a French Open campaign where Malaysian doubles pairs captured the headlines.
