PETALING JAYA: Badminton legend Peter Gade believes Malaysia still have what it takes to be a formidable side at the Sudirman Cup in Xiamen, China, even without men’s singles ace Lee Zii Jia.
Even without Zii Jia, Malaysia still have a well-balanced team, backed by strong pairs in the men’s and mixed doubles events at the world mixed team starting on Sunday.
Gade believes Malaysia’s true strength lies in their depth across the board. What matters now, is for the team to map out the right strategy to secure three wins from five matches, the winning formula in this team-based tournament.
“This is still a team competition, and on the day, it’s all about performance. If the players are well prepared and I believe they will be,” said Gade.
“They can still deliver some important points. Knowing Malaysia, I’m sure they already have a plan B and will give it their best shot.”
Malaysia will be banking on a formidable trio in the men’s doubles, featuring newly crowned Asian champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, world No. 2 pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, and world No. 7 duo Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun.
In the mixed doubles, Malaysia also have solid options with world No. 3 pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie, the reunited world No. 4 Cheng Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, and world No. 14 pair Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin.
Added Gade: “Malaysia still have strengths in several categories and have shown that they can beat the best players in the world. Of course, there are no guarantees, but as I mentioned earlier, in team events, it’s about coming together and delivering when it matters most. All you need are three match wins.
“Team competition has always been a strong suit for Malaysia. I’m confident they’ll be well prepared and ready to seize the opportunity,” said Gade during an interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
At the same time, Gade urged players like Leong Jun Hao and Justin Hoh who are expected to step in for Zii Jia not to be intimidated when facing higher-ranked opponents.
“Well, I think no matter what, it’s a big miss for the tournament as a whole because Zii Jia, for me, a big personality in our sport. He always brings a lot of attention, drama, and exciting matches wherever he goes.
“So yes, his absence is definitely a setback. That said, in team competitions like this, there’s never a guarantee that any one player can deliver a point. There are other very strong men’s singles players out there, and now it’s up to the rest of the Malaysian squad to step up.
“The other men’s singles players will need to take on the leadership role, contribute to the team, and fight for points even if they go into some of these matches as underdogs,” he added.
Zii Jia has been one of the key players in Malaysia’s previous success at the tournament, helping the national team secure bronze medals in back-to-back editions in Vantaa, Finland, in 2021, and Suzhou, China, two years ago.
However, the world No. 8 will not play this time around as he is still recovering from a foot injury.
