Kuala lumpur: National badminton legend Datuk Rashid Sidek believes Malaysia can finally end a wait of more than three decades to lift the coveted Thomas Cup in the 2026 edition in Horsens, Denmark. Rashid said Malaysia now has a strong team, especially in the men’s doubles, which currently dominates the top two rankings in the world through the professional pairs of Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and former 2022 World champion Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Rashid emphasized the importance of strengthening the singles lineup, which includes Lee Zii Jia and Leong Jun Hao, to further improve their quality of play. He expressed confidence that with balanced doubles and singles players, the team can achieve stability and potentially lift the Thomas Cup. Rashid shared these insights at the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and the launch of the badminton film ‘Sentuhan Wira.’
Directed by Lenny Ooi, ‘Sentuhan Wira’ is set to release in cinemas next year and retraces the historical moment of Malaysia’s last victory in the Thomas Cup during the 1992 edition. The film highlights Malaysia’s triumph over arch-rivals Indonesia with a 3-2 victory. Rashid, a key player in the 1992 squad, hopes the film will inspire national shuttlers to maintain their fighting spirit on the court.
The film, produced by Victory Pictures, is the brainchild of Rashid and another national badminton legend, Datuk Cheah Soon Kit. Both legends acted as film advisors, contributing to script development, technical research, and ensuring an accurate portrayal of Malaysia’s 1992 Thomas Cup success.
In addition to the 1992 edition, Malaysia has also emerged as Thomas Cup champions in the 1949, 1952, 1955, and 1967 editions. Meanwhile, Rashid noted that a significant challenge awaits former national men’s singles player Iskandar Zulkarnain, who was recently appointed as the national women’s singles coach by the Badminton Association of Malaysia.
Rashid highlighted that Iskandar is relatively new to coaching, despite having served as the full-time coach of the Irish badminton squad in 2022. Iskandar’s notable achievement in Ireland was guiding men’s singles player Nhat Nguyen to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. He begins his role with BAM on October 1 at the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM).