Malaysia Bets On New Pairings To Win First Olympic Badminton Gold At LA28

KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 (Bernama) -- Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) Performance Committee chairman Lee Chong Wei believes the newly tested men's doubles combinations could offer Malaysia its best chance of winning a first Olympic gold medal at the Los Angeles 2028 Games (LA28). 

He said the move to experiment with new partnerships ahead of next year's Olympic qualification campaign was aimed at identifying the strongest combinations capable of ending Malaysia's long wait for Olympic gold. 

"In previous meetings, I stressed that decisions should not be made at the last minute because next year will be crucial with the start of Olympic qualification," he said after attending the BAM Council Meeting at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) at Bukit Kiara here Saturday. 

He was referring to BAM's decision to pair Aaron Chia with Tee Kai Wun and Soh Wooi Yik with Man Wei Chong in several upcoming tournaments as part of its long-term planning ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. 

"Normally, partner changes are made around January in preparation for the Olympics. However, I told the coaches not to wait until January but to begin the trials earlier, either before or after this year's Asian Games. In the coaches' view, these combinations have the potential to deliver the country's first Olympic gold medal,” he said.

Chong Wei said several badminton powerhouses had begun experimenting with new partnerships immediately after the Paris 2024 Olympics to identify the best combinations for the next Olympic cycle.

"Many countries started forming new partnerships after the Paris Olympics in search of the best combinations for the next cycle. I believe we are already somewhat late, and the decision to form new pairings is not an easy one to make," he said.

Nevertheless, he did not rule out retaining the new pairings through to LA28 if they deliver positive results.

-- BERNAMA