Latest news with #BadmintonAsiaJuniorChampionships
The Sun
17 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Lee Chong Wei backs Jonassen to rebuild Malaysia's badminton singles squad
NATIONAL badminton legend Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei has called for patience as coach Kenneth Jonassen works to rebuild Malaysia's struggling men's singles squad. Jonassen, who took over as national men's singles coach and Director of Singles Coaching at the Badminton Association of Malaysia (ABM) six months ago, needs time to implement his plans effectively. Lee stressed that expecting immediate results would be unrealistic. 'I've met and spoken with him about how he can contribute to men's singles in Malaysia. He has great ideas, and I agree with his proposals and plans. We just can't expect instant results because this isn't a one-month or one-year process,' he said. The former world number one highlighted that at least one full four-year cycle is needed to assess Jonassen's impact. 'Give him room to adapt to the local culture and to rebuild the team. It's like a newborn child – even learning to walk takes a year, let alone producing a world champion,' Lee added. His comments came after receiving the Darjah Gemilang Pangkuan Negeri (DGPN) award from Penang Governor Tun Ramli Ngah Talib. Lee also addressed concerns raised by former national coach Wong Tat Meng, who warned of a potential singles crisis due to weak youth development. Malaysia's junior squad recently underperformed at the 2025 Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Solo, Indonesia. Lee acknowledged the worrying state of men's singles, with only Lee Zii Jia showing promise after recovering from injury, while Ng Tze Yong remains in treatment. 'We only have Lee Zii Jia, who's just recovered from injury, and Ng Tze Yong, who is still undergoing treatment in Doha. Their performances are still inconsistent, and the same goes for Leong Jun Hao, whose form has been up and down,' he said. - Bernama
Barnama
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Barnama
Give Jonassen Time To Rebuild Malaysia's Singles Line-up
GEORGE TOWN, July 30 (Bernama) -- National men's singles coach and Director of Singles Coaching at the Badminton Association of Malaysia (ABM), Kenneth Jonassen, should be given sufficient time to implement his plans and bring about change to the national singles squad, according to Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei. The Malaysian badminton legend said Jonassen, who has only been in the role for six months, needs time to adapt and rebuild the strength of a men's singles line-up that is currently in a critical state. 'I've met and spoken with him (Jonassen) about how he can contribute to men's singles in Malaysia. He has great ideas and I agree with his proposals and plans. We just can't expect instant results because this isn't a one-month or one-year process. bootstrap slideshow 'At the very least, one full cycle – four years – is needed before we can gauge the effectiveness of his plans. Give him room to adapt to the local culture and to rebuild the team. It's like a newborn child – even learning to walk takes a year, let alone producing a world champion,' he said. He was speaking to reporters after receiving the Darjah Gemilang Pangkuan Negeri (DGPN) award, which carries the title Datuk Seri, from the Yang Dipertua Negeri of Penang, Tun Ramli Ngah Talib, in conjunction with the 84th birthday celebration of the Penang Governor, here today. Lee, 43, was responding to a newspaper report quoting former national coach Wong Tat Meng, who warned that Malaysia could face a singles crisis if immediate action isn't taken to address the weaknesses in the country's youth player development system. Wong, 58, gave this stern warning after witnessing the underwhelming performance of Malaysia's junior squad at the 2025 Badminton Asia Junior Championships (BAJC) in Solo, Indonesia, recently. Commenting further, Lee said the current state of the men's singles is worrying, with a significant gap between Malaysian players and the world's top contenders. Lee said only Lee Zii Jia currently shows potential, having recently returned from injury, while Ng Tze Yong is undergoing treatment in Doha.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Malaysia brokers Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire, wins global praise
KUALA LUMPUR: The failure of Malaysia's singles shuttlers to reach the quarter-finals at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships (BAJC) 2025 in Solo, Indonesia, came as no surprise to national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen. Jonassen said that while the outcome may appear disappointing, it aligned with his expectations going into the recently concluded tournament held at the GOR Indoor Manahan Solo. 'Am I disappointed? Maybe for some individual performances that I thought could have been better. But my expectations were met, so to speak. 'I know where we are. I understand and I fully accept that we have an ambition a lot more than we produced this time,' he told reporters during a training session here today. Malaysia ended their campaign at the 2025 BAJC without a single medal, with both the singles and doubles departments falling short. This year's results mark a significant drop from their 2024 performance, when the national junior squad returned with one silver and three bronze medals. The Dane, who has been working closely with the junior squad over the past several months, said he and his team had identified three key areas for immediate focus moving forward: physicality, tactical discipline and mental resilience. Although several juniors are currently training with the senior national squad, Jonassen warned against expecting quick results. 'Just because we made some changes, with them now training with the senior team, it's not that easy. Development doesn't happen overnight. It's a long process. 'Everybody wants changes all the time. But actually, what you need is to continue down the path you've already taken, maybe with a few tweaks, and then you can deliver results eventually,' he said. - Bernama
The Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Malaysia's BAJC 2025 performance meets expectations, says Jonassen
KUALA LUMPUR: The failure of Malaysia's singles shuttlers to reach the quarter-finals at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships (BAJC) 2025 in Solo, Indonesia, came as no surprise to national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen. Jonassen said that while the outcome may appear disappointing, it aligned with his expectations going into the recently concluded tournament held at the GOR Indoor Manahan Solo. 'Am I disappointed? Maybe for some individual performances that I thought could have been better. But my expectations were met, so to speak. 'I know where we are. I understand and I fully accept that we have an ambition a lot more than we produced this time,' he told reporters during a training session here today. Malaysia ended their campaign at the 2025 BAJC without a single medal, with both the singles and doubles departments falling short. This year's results mark a significant drop from their 2024 performance, when the national junior squad returned with one silver and three bronze medals. The Dane, who has been working closely with the junior squad over the past several months, said he and his team had identified three key areas for immediate focus moving forward: physicality, tactical discipline and mental resilience. Although several juniors are currently training with the senior national squad, Jonassen warned against expecting quick results. 'Just because we made some changes, with them now training with the senior team, it's not that easy. Development doesn't happen overnight. It's a long process. 'Everybody wants changes all the time. But actually, what you need is to continue down the path you've already taken, maybe with a few tweaks, and then you can deliver results eventually,' he said. - Bernama
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Back on podium after 13 years, junior women shuttlers hope to build on Badminton Asia Championships success
Tanvi Sharma continued her recent impressive run, winning bronze at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships on Saturday (July 26, 2025), along with Vennala Kalagotla, as India returned with two individual medals for women in the event for the first time ever. Tanvi and Vennala, the last two remaining Indians in fray, went down fighting to their respective Chinese opponents in straight games in Solo, Indonesia. While Vennala saved three match points in the second game before going down 21-15, 21-18 to Liu Si Ya, Tanvi, the current World No. 1 in juniors, lost to eighth-seed Yin Yi Qing 21-13, 21-14. These were also the first medals for Indian women in the event since P.V. Sindhu in 2012. The 16-year old Tanvi, who idolises former World No. 1 Tai Tzu Ying, had recently become only the fourth Indian woman to reach the final of a BWF Super 300 event at the US Open. 'There were a lot of unforced errors which was disappointing but I am still happy to get a medal for India after 13 years. I have to get stronger and I was not well also through the week so overall it was ok,' she said. Switching between senior and junior events isn't easy either, she admitted. 'Out there I go all out and play freely, the level of players is very different and I know I have to improve to match them. In juniors, there is a little more pressure because there is more expectation. Add studies and the balance is not easy to manage. The big target now is the World Junior Championships later this year,' she said, adding that competing on home base – she trains at the NCOE, Guwahati, venue for the event – would not matter. Vennala, on the other hand, was the surprise element, the current World No. 103 in juniors overcoming higher-ranked opponents before falling short in the semifinals. 'What I realised is that I have to work on playing slower opponents and keep the rallies going, get faster and not allow the other player to control the pace,' the 17-year old trainee with Pullela Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad since 2019 admitted. 'This is my first international medal so I am really happy with the result but I know I can do better. More than myself, my coaches – Rahul Yadav and Jayant Rana – would be happier today. They have been instrumental in pushing me to work hard in singles even when everyone else, including myself, thought I was not good enough and should stick to doubles. This medal will push me to focus more now but I won't give up doubles completely,' Vennala insisted.
