Chong Wei: Jonassen needs time to improve singles squad

New Straits Times

6 days ago

GEORGE TOWN: National badminton legend Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei believes national coaching director Kenneth Jonassen needs ample time to bring change to the country's singles squad.
Lee said the Danish coach had solid plans but required space to adapt to the local culture in his efforts to build a strong line-up of backup players.
"I have met with him myself. We discuss how we can help the main men's singles players. He has really good ideas, but we must give him time, not a month, not a year, we need to give him at least one term.
"One term is around four years. Only then he can implement his plans and deliver the results we hope for. After all, he has only been here for less than six months.
"It is like a newborn baby. You cannot expect it to walk right away. It takes about a year. So how can we expect a world champion to be produced so quickly?" he asked.
He told newsmen after being conferred the Darjah Gemilang Pangkuan Negeri (DGPN), which carries the title Datuk Seri, during the investiture ceremony held in conjunction with the 84th birthday of the Penang Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Tun Ramli Ngah Talib, here today.
Commenting further, Lee acknowledged that the current performance of the national men's singles players was worrying, as they lagged significantly behind the world's top players.
"We have Lee Zii Jia, who is just recovering from injury, and we also have Ng Tze Yong, but he is currently undergoing surgery in Doha, Qatar. Hopefully, he recovers quickly and comes back stronger.
"Their performances still look unstable, and the same goes for Leong Jun Hao, who has been like a roller coaster - up and down," he added.
Previously, former national coach Wong Tat Meng had warned that Malaysia risked facing a singles crisis if immediate action was not taken to address the fragility in the country's youth development system.
His stern warning came after all national representatives were eliminated in the quarter-final stage of the individual events at the 2025 Asian Junior Badminton Championships last Sunday.
However, Lee remained hopeful that the country's backup squad could bounce back in time for next year's World Junior Championships, with his former coach, Datuk Tey Seu Bock, also set to assist the team.
"But they need to catch up quickly because the situation is different from the senior players, who can afford to wait four years. We hope to see better results at the World Junior Championships next year," he said.
Earlier, Lee, who was born in Parit Buntar, Perak, and raised in Bukit Mertajam, described the state award as deeply meaningful and a source of motivation for him to continue contributing and sharing his experience in the national badminton scene.