Malaysia eyes 2026 Thomas Cup victory after 34-year drought
He highlighted the team's strength, particularly in men's doubles, where Malaysia dominates with world-class pairs Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik.
Rashid stressed the need for improvement in singles, citing Lee Zii Jia and Leong Jun Hao as key players.
'If we have two strong doubles and two competitive singles players, the team will be stable enough to win the Thomas Cup,' he said during the launch of the badminton film Sentuhan Wira.
The film, directed by Lenny Ooi, revisits Malaysia's historic 1992 Thomas Cup victory over Indonesia. Rashid, a key player in that squad, hopes the movie will inspire current shuttlers.
Produced by Victory Pictures, the project involved Rashid and Datuk Cheah Soon Kit as advisors to ensure historical accuracy.
Malaysia has won the Thomas Cup five times, with the last triumph in 1992. Rashid also commented on Iskandar Zulkarnain's new role as national women's singles coach, acknowledging the challenge ahead.
Iskandar previously coached Ireland's Nhat Nguyen to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Malaysian tennis cries out for hero to inspire next generation
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian tennis is crying out for an icon. Without one, the next generation of players is at risk of falling into the same trap as those before them — full of promise, but ultimately going nowhere. Globally, tennis is the most prestigious and lucrative racquet sport. But in Malaysia, it sits far behind badminton, squash and even table tennis in terms of funding and attention from both the government and private sector. The reason? Results. Badminton has delivered Olympic medals, Thomas Cup wins and world champions like Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik. Squash gave us the legendary Datuk Nicol David, an eight-time world champion. Even table tennis has seen Malaysian paddlers shine at the Asian Championships and Commonwealth Games. These sports have heroes — icons like the Sidek brothers, Datuk Lee Chong Wei and Nicol, who not only inspired a nation, but convinced parents that their kids could have a future in sport. Tennis, on the other hand, has no such figure. And when there's no funding, development suffers. We've never lacked talent. From Adam Jaya in the early 2000s to Christian Didier Chin and Ahmad Deedat Abdul Razak in more recent years, potential has always been there. But without sustained support, almost all have fallen by the wayside. Why? Because creating a world-class tennis player costs money. Serious money. You need top-level coaching, strength and conditioning, physiotherapy, nutrition and constant travel for tournaments to build experience and mental toughness. And with the ringgit struggling against major currencies, it's a steep uphill climb. What Malaysian tennis needs is a top-100 player. That's the magic number. Crack the top 100, and you're playing in Grand Slams and Masters events — the tournaments that matter, where sponsors and broadcasters pay attention. That exposure would be a game-changer. And Malaysia's best shot? The women's game. A towering height isn't a must. Italy's Jasmine Paolini, world No. 4 and just 1.63m tall, is living proof. Skill, fight and smart scheduling can get you there. Right now, we have two young hopefuls — Shihomi Leong (18) and Daania Hazli (15) — grinding it out on the ITF junior and futures circuits, mostly on their families' dime. Shihomi already has four singles and five doubles titles. Daania, playing in Europe, has made it to quarters and semis on clay and led Malaysia's junior Billie Jean King Cup squad to the final qualifying round in Kazakhstan last month. But they're on a tightrope. Like others before them, they risk running out of funds before making a breakthrough. This is where Tennis Malaysia (TM) must step up. TM has made strides with junior and national circuits, but support for players transitioning to the pro tour remains limited, largely due to funding issues, again stemming from the sport's lack of headline-grabbing results. But that's a cycle that can be broken with the right investment. Think of it as seed funding. If these players succeed, TM succeeds too. Sponsors will come. Government funding will follow. Look at track cycling. It barely had any support until Josiah Ng and later Azizulhasni Awang made headlines. The same can happen in tennis. One overlooked area is doubles, a quicker route to medals in multi-sport events. A pair like right-handed Shihomi and left-handed Daania could be formidable with the right backing. They should be touring together, with clay court tournaments high on the agenda. Clay suits smaller-framed players, builds endurance and is easier on the body. It also reduces the risk of early-career injuries caused by relentless play on hard courts. Medals at events, like the Asian Games, can bring instant recognition and funding. That's the power of results. While the women's path looks more promising, the men's game shouldn't be neglected. Take Mitsuki Leong, Shihomi's older brother. Last year, he became the first Malaysian to win an ITF title since V. Selvam in the 1990s, and he's now ranked a career-high No. 603 on the ATP Tour. That's progress. TM shouldn't view funding these players as a burden or a criticism. Instead, this is their moment. Led by president Mirzan Mahathir, the current TM executive council has a golden opportunity to reshape Malaysian tennis. To succeed where past leaderships have failed. To finally end the drought. Yes, it will take throwing the kitchen sink at the problem, but sports is a results game. No wins, no rewards. Our Southeast Asian neighbours have shown it's possible. Indonesia had Yayuk Basuki. Thailand had Paradorn Sri-chaphan. The Philippines now has rising star Alexandra Eala. It's time for Malaysia to stop waiting and start believing. The top 100 isn't a dream, it's a target. And hitting it could transform everything. * Fadhli Ishak is NST's senior sports journalist and a tennis lover
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Table tennis-World Cup winner Calderano to miss Las Vegas event over visa issues
BERLIN (Reuters) -Brazilian Hugo Calderano, who won the gold medal in the 2025 table tennis World Cup, said he will miss the WTT U.S. smash event in Las Vegas this month following delays in getting a visa to the United States. Calderano, a 2025 world championships silver medallist who also holds a Portuguese passport, said he had been informed by U.S. authorities that he was no longer eligible for visa waiver for European Union countries, due to a trip to Cuba in 2023 to compete in international competitions and qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The 29-year-old said he then tried to get an emergency visa but ran out of time with the event already under way on Thursday. "I followed the same protocol as all my previous trips to the United States using my Portuguese passport," Calderano said in a statement on his website late on Thursday. "When I was informed of the situation, I mobilized my entire team to obtain an emergency visa, but unfortunately, there was not enough time." "It is frustrating to be left out of one of the most important competitions of the season for reasons beyond my control, especially coming off such positive results," he added. The U.S. Smash event is one of the highlights of the year for the WTT, a body created by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), to stage commercial competitions to broaden the appeal of the sport, with higher prize money. The United States will also play host to the 2026 soccer World Cup while Los Angeles will stage the 2028 summer Olympics with athletes from more than 200 countries set to take part. Reuters has contacted the U.S. State Department for a comment. The ITTF could not immediately be reached for a comment. (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann)
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Film on 1992 Thomas Cup victory coming to a cinema near you
Datuk Rashid Sidek (right) and Datuk Cheah Soon Kit - who were key players in the squad at the time – are appointed as production advisers. Photo: Bernama Over three decades after a defining moment in Malaysian sports history, the national men's badminton team's triumphant 1992 Thomas Cup victory is set to hit the silver screen. The film, titled Sentuhan Wira (Touch Of A Hero), was officially launched by producer Victory Pictures Sdn Bhd on July 3, in conjunction with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the relevant parties, witnessed by National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) Chairman, Datuk Gerald Hans Isaac. Under the MoU, two national badminton legends - Datuk Rashid Sidek and Datuk Cheah Soon Kit - who were key players in the squad at the time, were appointed as production advisers. They are also directly involved in the script development to ensure factual accuracy and to convey the true spirit of the team's journey to the audience. Rashid said the film is not just about badminton, but a cinematic piece that reflects struggle, belief and national pride as Malaysians. He also described the film's production as an important platform to share the experiences of former players with the younger generation, while highlighting the spirit of unity that existed within the national team at the time. "We want the current generation to feel what we experienced as players and to witness the unity and strong patriotic spirit among us. Even though we came from different races, we still succeeded together for one purpose,' he told reporters after the MoU signing. "Yes, it's been a long time - 33 years without winning the Thomas Cup. So, with the release of this film, we hope it can boost the spirit of our current players to become more motivated. "What's more important is the spirit of patriotism, not individual glory, but the collective drive to bring honour to the nation,' he said, adding that back then, they placed national pride above personal interests. Meanwhile, Sentuhan Wira director Lenny Ooi said he will present an action-directed style, with filming that emphasises realism in the training and match scenes. "The actors selected must also be able to play badminton; otherwise, their movements will look stiff,' he said. He added that filming is expected to begin at the end of this year and the movie is slated for release in early 2027. – Bernama
