Pathum thani: National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen believes Malaysia’s strong desire to win may have worked against them in the men’s badminton team final as they fell to arch rivals Indonesia, 0-3 at the SEA Games Thailand 2025, in Pathum Thani today. He said the players struggled to strike the right balance between passion and composure, allowing emotions to affect their tactical clarity and decision-making on court at Gymnasium 4, Thammasat University Rangsit Campus.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Jonassen expressed his need to digest the defeat, acknowledging that the players’ intense desire to win gold might have hindered their performance. He emphasized the importance of managing emotions and maintaining clarity during gameplay. Jonassen highlighted this as a critical area of improvement for the upcoming Thomas Cup in Denmark next year.

On the performance of men’s first singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao, Jonassen noted that despite a promising lead in the second set, Jun Hao’s eagerness led to a loss of control, allowing Alwi Farhan to stage a comeback and secure the first point for Indonesia. Similarly, men’s second singles Justin Hoh made several mistakes, unable to recover against Moh. Zaki Ubaidillah’s tactics, resulting in a loss for Malaysia.

National men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi was disappointed with the performance of Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, who were outperformed by Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani. Herry emphasized that as the world No. 2 duo, Aaron-Wooi Yik should have delivered a stronger performance against their lower-ranked opponents.

With this defeat, Malaysia’s hopes of ending a two-decade gold medal drought in the men’s badminton team event remain unfulfilled, last achieved in the 2005 edition in the Philippines. The SEA Games Thailand 2025 continues from December 9 to 20, spanning Bangkok and Chonburi provinces.