Kuala lumpur: The decision to leave out national top men's singles player Leong Jun Hao was purely tactical, even as the move nearly cost Malaysia in their 3-2 win over England in the Thomas Cup Finals 2026 Group B opener here, yesterday. National singles coaching director said the overall idea was to get as many players involved as possible, hence the decision to field Justin Hoh as first singles in a bid to test different combinations early in the tournament.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the coaching director mentioned, "There are no bigger things other than that we want to keep our options.so we feel that potentially later in the tournament we have played all our players and not wait until crucial games." The strategy, however, almost backfired as the results nearly cost Malaysia their opening match. The director acknowledged this as a learning opportunity, emphasizing the need for improvement in upcoming games.
Malaysia experienced a shaky start as Justin Hoh lost 19-21, 19-21 to England's Harry Huang, giving England an early lead. The national top men's doubles pair, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, leveled the tie with a 21-19, 21-13 win over Oliver Butler and Samuel Jones. England reclaimed their lead when Cholan Kayan defeated Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin 21-16, 21-15. However, the Malaysian second doubles pair, Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun, managed a 21-14, 21-14 win over Alex Green and Zach Russ, pushing the match to a decider.
Lee Zii Jia, a professional shuttler, secured Malaysia's victory by defeating Nadeem Dalvi 21-13, 21-11 in the final match. Jonassen, the coaching director, expressed disappointment over Justin's performance, particularly his inability to maintain a lead during the second set. Despite this, Jonassen praised Zii Jia for his strong performance, highlighting his calm and composed play under pressure.
Jonassen noted that Zii Jia's victory could boost his confidence as the tournament progresses. Malaysia, a five-time champion, will next face Finland tomorrow and conclude their Group B matches against Japan on Wednesday, April 29. The Thomas Cup Finals 2026, which began last Friday, will continue until May 3.