
BAM to finalise SEA Games badminton squad by next week
The announcement will come before the national team departs for the 2025 World Championships in Paris, scheduled from August 25 to 31.
BAM doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky stated that discussions with all doubles coaches are ongoing to determine the best combinations.
'Give us a few more days, maybe a week, before we announce the final decision. The SEA Games does not clash with the World Tour Finals,' he said.
He added that further discussions are needed to ensure Malaysia fields a competitive team against strong opponents like Indonesia and Thailand.
Rexy spoke after the Thailand SEA Games selection meeting at Wisma OCM today.
He confirmed that top pairs such as Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, and Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei are likely to be selected.
However, he stressed that no final decisions have been made yet.
'We appreciate comments from players such as Aaron-Wooi Yik, who wish to give young players an opportunity,' Rexy said.
He highlighted the depth in Malaysia's doubles events, mentioning pairs like Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, Wan Arif Junaidi-Yap Roy King, and Choong Hon Jian-Muhammad Haikal Nazri.
The final squad is expected to include 20 players, with 10 men and 10 women.
The 2025 SEA Games will take place from December 9 to 20 in Thailand. - Bernama
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Free Malaysia Today
39 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Is FOMO fuelling the rise of pickleball?
Pickleball, a fast-paced hybrid of tennis, badminton and table tennis, has exploded in popularity across the country. (Bernama pic) KUALA LUMPUR : If you're an avid social media user, chances are you've come across videos of friends, or even celebrities, playing pickleball – the paddle sport that combines elements of ping-pong, badminton and tennis. Of late, the popularity of this activity has been skyrocketing, and even those who previously had little interest in sports have seemingly become ardent players. Could the psychological phenomenon known as FOMO – or 'fear of missing out' – be at work here? Psychologist Norezzati Hanafiah believes that FOMO – often associated with social pressure or unhealthy lifestyle habits – can actually be used positively, such as by encouraging individuals to lead more active lifestyles. From a psychological perspective, this drive is closely tied to the human instinct to be accepted within a social group, which is essential for emotional well-being. As such, in the context of pickleball or other light sports, FOMO can become a positive motivator. 'One might start as a spectator, then develop an interest in trying it out, which can become a turning point towards adopting a healthier lifestyle. If handled properly, FOMO can spark healthy habits that spread widely within a community,' she said. Norezzati Hanafiah. Beyond physical benefits, pickleball also contributes to mental health through its relaxed and fun social aspects — enhancing mood, providing ongoing motivation, and offering social therapy for those dealing with work stress or burnout. According to Norezzati, the approach to health promotion is evolving, with a greater focus on the 'fun-first' concept, as seen in pickleball. This makes physical activities more enjoyable and effective than approaches that emphasise aesthetics or weight loss. 'When an activity is seen as fun rather than a burden, people are more likely to stick with it. This makes a healthy lifestyle something to enjoy rather than something one is forced into,' she stressed. Norezzati added that social media plays a major role in spreading the pickleball trend, and creating a sense of normalisation that encourages more people to try the sport without feeling embarrassed or self-conscious.


The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Nova: Chen-Toh must be mentally tougher to go far in Paris
Giving their all: Mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei training at the Academy Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara ahead of the World Championships in Paris. — ART CHEN/The Star PETALING JAYA: Shuttlers Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei need to adopt the champions' mentality to win the biggest titles. Mixed doubles coach Nova Widianto believes his charges are lacking mental toughness and grit needed to overcome obstacles and win matches in the big tournaments. World No. 4 Tang Jie-Ee Wei have been stopped five times in the semi-finals this year and have yet to reach a final since finishing runners-up in the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou last December. The pair's best result in their careers so far was the second place finish in the Tour Finals while their biggest title was the World Tour Super 500 Korean Open last August. With the World Championships fast approaching from Aug 25-31 in Paris, Nova wants Tang Jie-Ee Wei to toughen up and find ways to win even when they are not in their best form. 'The top pairs are not always at their best but they still find ways to win and Tang Jie-Ee Wei need to learn to overcome challenges in matches too,' said Nova, after overseeing a training session at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara yesterday. 'Currently, they are not tough enough to overcome the obstacles. They are lacking the champions' mentality and this is holding them back in the big tournaments. 'This is reflected in their results this year. Their performances have dropped compared to the last two years. 'We are trying to find ways to help them overcome this issue by giving them a challenging environment in training. If they can come up with solutions during training, then surely they can do better in tournaments.' Nova has called on Tang Jie-Ee Wei to re-ignite their season by winning a medal in the world meet. It has been 19 years since Malaysia last won a medal in the mixed doubles in the tournament and the Indonesian wants the pair to end the country's long wait. Koo Kien Keat-Wong Pei Tty, who won bronze in the 2006 edition in Madrid, are still Malaysia's sole medallists in the mixed doubles in the world meet so far. Nova feels Tang Jie-Ee Wei have a genuine chance this time as they will be seeded fourth in the tourney and will avoid the likes of China's top two seeds Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping and Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin as well as Thailand's third seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran at least until the semi-finals. 'Looking at Tang Jie-Ee Wei's seeding, they should at least reach the semi-finals and win a medal,' said Nova. 'Luck has not been good for Malaysia in the mixed doubles in the World Championships for so long and hopefully this time we can deliver better results.' The much anticipated draw for the prestigious event will be released today.


The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Jun Hao out to raise a few eyebrows in world debut
PETALING JAYA: Expectations may not be high on men's singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao in the World Championships from Aug 25-31 in Paris but the debutant is out to punch above his weight. Despite going through a difficult year so far, Jun Hao has still managed to topple the likes of China's world No. 4 Li Shifeng, Indonesia's world No. 5 Jonatan Christie and Japan's Kodai Naraoka (No. 8). The world No. 25 though has not managed to remain consistent throughout a tournament and is keen to improve his record in the world meet. 'I'm excited to get to play in the World Championships for the first time. I'm hoping to get a positive result by pulling off a few upsets,' said Jun Hao after a training session at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara yesterday. 'In a major tournament, everyone has chances to do well. I'm taking it one match at a time as always. 'Every match is a challenge that I need to overcome and I want to play my best. 'In training, I have been focusing on improving my strategies and consistency during matches,' added Jun Hao. As part of his preparations for the prestigious meet, Jun Hao will head to Copenhagen for a training camp with the Denmark national team from Aug 18-22. Singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen, who was head coach of Denmark before joining the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) in January, was instrumental in arranging the training camp in an effort to provide Jun Hao and women's singles player K. Letshanaa with some quality sparring sessions before the Paris showpiece. 'Although there is not a lot of time to learn new things, this is a chance to have some quality sparring in a different environment,' said Jun Hao. 'This is the first time I will be experiencing something like this before a big tournament. 'Kenneth has connections as he was the head coach there, so this is a good initiative from him.' Jun Hao's best performance in his career so far came in the World Tour Super 500 Japan Masters last November where he finished runners-up to Shifeng. The 26-year-old though has struggled to replicate the form he showed in the tourney, with his best showing this year coming in the Singapore Open in May where he made it to the quarter-finals. In the World Championships, Liew Daren was the last Malaysian to win a medal in the men's singles when he claimed bronze in the 2018 edition in Nanjing.