Misbun: Malaysia's Asian Games shuttlers 'mere participants', not gold contenders

Malaysia's badminton team for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games has been labeled by coaching legend Misbun Sidek as "just participants" rather than "gold medal contenders." Misbun, drawing from their performance in tournaments, believes the team is not yet ready for gold at the upcoming games. The badminton competition kicks off with the men's and women's team events on Sunday.

Among the squad, only the independent men's doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and the women's doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah are the only ones who have tasted victory on the World Tour. However, their recent form has been lacking. Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, another member, is currently nursing a knee injury, which has forced Tang Jie to change partners.

Misbun emphasized that the team's recent performances should give a realistic indication of their chances. The Malaysian Badminton Association aims for one silver and one bronze in Aichi-Nagoya, along with undisclosed internal targets for players. Misbun believes that with the right development and training, these players can become champions. The last time Malaysia won an Asian Games badminton gold was in 2006 in Doha.