Give Jonassen Time To Rebuild Malaysia’s Singles Line-up – Lee Chong Wei 

GEORGE TOWN, July 30 (Bernama) -- National men’s singles coach and Director of Singles Coaching at the Badminton Association of Malaysia (ABM), Kenneth Jonassen, should be given sufficient time to implement his plans and bring about change to the national singles squad, according to Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei.

The Malaysian badminton legend said Jonassen, who has only been in the role for six months, needs time to adapt and rebuild the strength of a men’s singles line-up that is currently in a critical state.

“I’ve met and spoken with him (Jonassen) about how he can contribute to men’s singles in Malaysia. He has great ideas and I agree with his proposals and plans. We just can’t expect instant results because this isn’t a one-month or one-year process.

“At the very least, one full cycle – four years – is needed before we can gauge the effectiveness of his plans. Give him room to adapt to the local culture and to rebuild the team. It’s like a newborn child – even learning to walk takes a year, let alone producing a world champion,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after receiving the Darjah Gemilang Pangkuan Negeri (DGPN) award, which carries the title Datuk Seri, from the Yang Dipertua Negeri of Penang, Tun Ramli Ngah Talib, in conjunction with the 84th birthday celebration of the Penang Governor, here today.

Lee, 43,  was responding to a newspaper report quoting former national coach Wong Tat Meng, who warned that Malaysia could face a singles crisis if immediate action isn’t taken to address the weaknesses in the country’s youth player development system.

Wong, 58, gave this stern warning after witnessing the underwhelming performance of Malaysia’s junior squad at the 2025 Badminton Asia Junior Championships (BAJC) in Solo, Indonesia, recently.

Commenting further, Lee said the current state of the men’s singles is worrying, with a significant gap between Malaysian players and the world’s top contenders.

Lee said only Lee Zii Jia currently shows potential, having recently returned from injury, while Ng Tze Yong is undergoing treatment in Doha.

“We only have Lee Zii Jia, who’s just recovered from injury, and Ng Tze Yong, who is still undergoing treatment in Doha. Their performances are still inconsistent, and the same goes for Leong Jun Hao, whose form has been up and down,” he said.

-- BERNAMA