Asian Games medal near impossible for men's and women's badminton teams

KUALA LUMPUR: Securing a medal in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games' men's and women's badminton competitions for Malaysia appears unlikely. The women's squad, featuring world No. 5 duo Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, faces a challenging opening match against Hong Kong at Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium. A win would advance Malaysia to the quarter-finals, where they would likely meet third-seeded South Korea, who received a first-round bye.

Defeating the Koreans could see Malaysia face second-seeded Japan in the semi-finals, all of which are considered formidable opponents. The men's tournament begins on Monday, with Malaysia set to defeat Mongolia in the first round, setting up a tough quarter-final against top-seeded Indonesia. If Malaysia progresses past Indonesia, either Taiwan or Thailand might be waiting in the semi-finals.

Team manager Datuk Ng Chin Chai emphasized that overcoming strong opposition is a must, regardless of the route to the medal round. Malaysia have not won a team medal in this event since 2014, when they secured bronze with a team led by Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei. The men's team previously won silver in 1966 and 1990, while the women's team achieved their best result in 1962, also winning silver before losing to Indonesia in the final.