KUALA LUMPUR: The women's singles department has been in the doldrums for far too long, and national coaching director Rexy Mainaky did not hold back in his blunt assessment of the shuttlers.
He cited grumbling and making excuses as just two of the many factors holding Malaysian women's singles players back from becoming world-class athletes.
Rexy revealed that some players had even complained of fatigue during training sessions at the Academy Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara.
"They grumble a lot and say they are tired. However, we hope they realise that they won't achieve anything by grumbling.
"You must understand why you need to keep fighting and how to achieve your goals. Instead, what do you do? Train a little, and you already complain of pains and aches," said Rexy at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
He added that players with such attitudes would not survive in badminton powerhouses like China, Indonesia or Japan, where they would have been expelled from their teams.
Citing the results of the 2025 Malaysia Open, Rexy urged the national shuttlers to emulate 21-year-old Thai ace Pornpicha Choeikeewong, who stunned world No. 5 Han Yue of China 18-21, 21-13, 21-19 to reach the semi-finals.
What frustrates Rexy is that two singles players — Wong Ling Ching and K. Letshanaa, who both failed to qualify for the Super 1000 event — had previously defeated Pornpicha but still find themselves lagging behind the world No. 44 Thai shuttler.
Rexy also called on the national women's singles players to draw inspiration from the achievements of former ace Wong Mew Choo, the only Malaysian woman to win the China Open, in 2007.
"This does not mean our women's singles shuttlers lack quality," Rexy added.
"It's just that they need to be willing to make sacrifices on their journey." - Bernama