The fight for the Thomas Cup has been ongoing for over a week. Sadly, Malaysia was knocked out of the running on 15th October during the quarterfinals. They lost to the Indonesian team and missed their chance to enter the semifinals.
Although the team did their best, many had already predicted their struggle. Their performance during the final group tie with Japan left many unsure if they could take on the Indonesian team. The only bright spot during the matches was Leong Jun Hao (梁峻豪)’s success in winning a single point.
Leong’s dream has always been to become the world number one. He’s trained hard, worked hard and prioritised badminton over his social life. He was once optimistic about being Dato Lee Chong Wei’s successor. However, after a hip injury at the end of 2018, his confidence wavered. Since then, he injured his hip twice more which resulted in his world ranking dropping from 40th to 120th. He came close to giving up his dream after being frustrated time and time again, but he’s starting to revive his career.
Leong had hoped to play a prominent role in the Thomas Cup. “A prestigious event like the Thomas Cup is one of those tournaments that can bring a massive impact and confidence boost to a player,” he explained. However, his spectacular performance was not enough to bring them further than the quarterfinals.
Although Malaysia did not make it to the finals for the Thomas Cup, there are still many more tournaments to come. We look forward to seeing Leong make his comeback and will be supporting him all the way!
Sources: Xuan, BWF Badminton, The Star (1)(2), New Straits Times
