KUALA LUMPUR – There has been a lot of talk about the decline of the women’s singles squad, and the biggest weakness among the national women’s singles players right now is fitness.
Aware of this crisis, K. Letshanaa has taken matters into her own hands to overcome it. She is not only looking stronger at the ongoing Malaysia Super 100 at Stadium Juara, Bukit Kiara, but in a remarkable effort, the player also managed to shed 6 kilograms.
Thus, when the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) announced Jeffer Rosobin, who previously oversaw the national junior squad, as the new head of the women’s singles department, it sparked excitement within her.
Letshanaa is determined to prove that the players in the national women’s singles squad are not as weak and fragile as everyone believes.
Under the new restructuring, the national women’s singles squad currently has only four players remaining, including Letshanaa, Ong Xin Yee, Siti Zulaikha Azmi, and Wong Li Ching.
Meanwhile, Goh Jin Wei is the only active female professional player outside of the national setup.
“Obviously, I am much fitter and thinner compared to before, and with my current physical condition, my performance graph is trending upwards.
“I feel more excited to stay fit and achieve success in the upcoming tournaments as well. Because we are here to achieve something, and since there aren’t many women’s singles players in Malaysia, that motivates me to do what I have to do.
“I need to prove that there is still hope for women’s singles players in Malaysia and that we are capable of competing with the world’s best players.
“Actually, I didn’t know much about him (Jeffer) before he came to BAM, but as a new coach, I’m looking forward to working with him. Hopefully, he can bring the best out of me,” said Letshanaa.
Letshanaa delivered an impressive performance in the second round of the Malaysia Super 100 today, defeating Chinese Taipei’s Peng Yu Wei, 21-9, 21-17, to advance to the quarter-finals.
“I think that if I reach the semi-finals or finals, it will be encouraging for the women’s singles department and give us a boost to improve and strive for better achievements in the future. For me, it would definitely serve as a morale boost to perform better, and hopefully, I can reach the top 50 in the world,” she added. – October 17, 2024
