KUALA LUMPUR – National women’s singles player K. Letshanaa boldly stated that Malaysia’s shuttlers have the potential to close the gap with the world’s top players in the coming years through persistent effort.
Her declaration comes in the wake of mounting scrutiny over the underwhelming performances of Malaysia’s women’s singles shuttlers in prestigious tournaments.
Over the years, it has become increasingly evident that women’s singles shuttlers under the purview of the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) have struggled to reach the heights of top international players like South Korea’s An Seyoung, China’s Chen Yufei, Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu-Ying, and Spain’s Carolina Marin.
These athletes have consistently dominated the sport, winning major accolades, including Olympic and World Championship titles.
At the recently concluded Paris Olympics, Malaysia was represented in the women’s singles event by independent player Goh Jin Wei, who unfortunately did not progress past the group stage after losing to world number 17 Kim Ga-eun.
Notably, no Malaysian player has advanced to the last 16 in the women’s singles event since the round-robin stage was introduced at the London 2012 Olympics.
The best Olympic performance by a Malaysian women’s singles shuttler remains Datin Wong Mew Choo’s quarter-final appearance at the Beijing 2008 Games.
Speaking to Scoop, Letshanaa expressed confidence that, with the guidance of her coaches at ABM, it is possible for Malaysia’s women’s singles players – including herself – to achieve greater success in the years to come.
She acknowledged the gap between Malaysian players and the world’s best but emphasised that they are making steady progress.
Alongside Letshanaa, other women’s singles players in ABM include Wong Ling Ching, Ung Yi Xing, and Siti Nurshuhaini Azman.
“I agree that there is a gap between us and some of the top players in the world, but we are in the process of bridging that gap. We can reach their level in time.
“Our coaches have been working hard to bring out the best in us, and we are also working together to reach the goals they’ve set for us. We always discuss how we can improve during our sparring sessions.
“We know that we have a lot of room to improve, and we are working on it – focusing on both our mental and physical strengths,” Letshanaa said when contacted.
Currently ranked number 59 in the world, 21-year-old Letshanaa also admitted that it will take time for her to be on par with the top women’s singles shuttlers globally.
“I can’t promise exactly how long it will take to reach that level.
“I’m looking at the long term, and my target now is to build myself up, improve gradually, and gain experience by participating in tournaments,” Letshanaa added.
Letshanaa, who has two Sudirman Cup bronze medals to her name, will be representing Selangor in this year’s Sukma in the badminton mixed team event, scheduled to take place at the Sibu Indoor Stadium from today until August 20. – August 17, 2024
