KUALA LUMPUR: Former national coach Rashid Sidek has urged Kumamoto Masters runner-up Leong Jun Hao to set clear goals if he is to realise his potential as a world-class badminton player.
The 25-year-old was once hailed as Malaysian's next big thing after clinching the Asian Junior title in 2017.
He famously defeated Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn, now a world champion and Paris Olympics silver medallist, in the boys' singles final.
However, Jun Hao's progress has lagged significantly over the last seven years.
Following mediocre results on the World Tour, the world No. 31 finally made a statement by reaching his first Super 500 final in Kumamoto, where he lost to China's Asian Games champion Li Shi Feng on Sunday.
Jun Hao turned heads during the tournament with wins over higher-ranked opponents, including world No. 17 Lakshya Sen, No. 11 Koki Watanabe, No. 4 Kodai Naraoka and No. 6 Jonatan Christie.
Despite being just one year younger than world No. 7 Lee Zii Jia, an Olympic bronze medallist, Jun Hao is now starting to show the quality needed to close the gap on his illustrious compatriot.
Rashid believes Jun Hao can make up for lost time if he starts converting opportunities into titles.
"Jun Hao's potential was never in doubt since his junior days, which is why the BA of Malaysia (BAM) has stood by him," said Rashid.
"Jun Hao must set specific goals to become a world-beater. He trained with Zii Jia and Ng Tze Yong for many years, but they moved up the ranks faster.
"Jun Hao seems to be asking himself the tough questions now. Once a player becomes self-critical and works hard, it's easier for coaches to push them to the next level."
Rashid stressed that a coach's role accounts for only 20 per cent of a player's success, with the rest dependent on the shuttler's own efforts.
"Jun Hao must now turn chances into titles if he wants to close the gap with Zii Jia and other top players,"
Rashid added. "He has to start working hard immediately and show the quality needed to earn respect from the top shuttlers."
However, Rashid, a former Olympic bronze medallist, cautioned against directly comparing Jun Hao to Zii Jia just yet.
"Zii Jia is an Olympic medallist and has multiple World Tour titles under his belt. Even if he struggles, he can bounce back and win.
"Jun Hao cannot afford to think that early-round losses are acceptable, as it will breed doubts.
"He must aim high, both mentally and physically, to progress further in tournaments.
"Take Viktor Axelsen as an example. At 30, his success rate has dipped, but he continues to strive for titles.
"That mindset is critical, and Jun Hao must learn from the best. A player should never stop learning, no matter their level."
Jun Hao must now recover quickly from his exploits in Kumamoto and prepare for a tricky opening-round clash against world No. 33 Takuma Obayashi of Japan at the China Masters, which start on tomorrow in Shenzhen.
Obayashi, who holds a 2-1 head-to-head advantage, will look to capitalise on Jun Hao's fatigue.
The Malaysian will need to dig deep to come through the challenge and move forward in the tournament.
As Rashid stressed, it is never too late to make an impact, provided Jun Hao remains goal-oriented and focused.