Kuala Lumpur: Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has tapped men’s singles player Leong Jun Hao and national number one women’s doubles player Pearly Tan to lead the national squad’s challenge at the 2025 Sudirman Cup in Xiamen, China.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky expressed that the trust given to Jun Hao and Pearly to shoulder joint responsibility as team captains could have a positive impact on their respective leadership styles both on and off the court. Rexy highlighted Pearly’s evolving role from being behind the scenes to actively providing information in the group. He also noted that this would be Jun Hao’s first time as a captain, which could be beneficial for his development.
Commenting on the simulation match held today, Rexy mentioned that the exercise was instrumental in preparing the players psychologically for the tournament, especially as they gear up to leave for Xiamen this Thursday.
Meanwhile, the doubles expert from Indonesia acknowledged the positive impact of having three professional representatives in the training sessions. The presence of the country’s number one men’s doubles Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, the mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie, and women’s singles player Goh Jin Wei has been a significant boost for the team.
The Malaysian squad will also feature players like Justin Hoh in men’s singles, K. Letshanaa in women’s singles, and champions from the 2025 Asian Badminton Championships, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun in men’s doubles. The women’s doubles team includes Go Pei Kee-Carmen Ting, while the mixed doubles pairs are Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei and Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin.
Malaysia, placed in Group C, will begin its campaign against France on April 28, followed by matches against Australia on April 29 and third seed Japan on May 1. Only the top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals.
Historically, Malaysia’s best performance in the Sudirman Cup has been reaching the semi-finals in the 2009, 2021, and 2023 editions.