Malaysia’s singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen has taken full responsibility following the national team’s disappointing exit from the Thomas Cup 2026, admitting the squad “did not reach the required level” after their quarter-final defeat.
Malaysia’s campaign came to an abrupt end at the Forum Horsens in Denmark, where they were beaten 0-3 by defending champions China—highlighting deeper issues that extended beyond a single tie.
Speaking after the loss, Jonassen did not hold back in his assessment, acknowledging that the team struggled throughout the tournament.
“Throughout this campaign, I am very disappointed with our performance because we came in with too many weaknesses in our game,” he said.
“For that, I take full responsibility. It did not reach the level. That is the most disappointing part.”
The Danish coach pointed to a lack of consistency and confidence—particularly within the men’s singles department—as key factors behind Malaysia’s underwhelming showing.
Despite entering the tournament with competitive expectations, Malaysia failed to build rhythm across the week. Jonassen emphasised that in elite competitions, players must grow stronger with each match—but that progression never materialised.
“In major tournaments, players are expected to improve match by match. Unfortunately, we did not find that consistency at any stage of the campaign,” he added.
While the quarter-final defeat to China sealed their fate, Jonassen stressed that the issues ran deeper than the final result itself.
“I am not too disappointed with today’s performance alone—but the overall performance throughout the week has been disappointing.”
Jonassen also revealed his hope of seeing independent star Lee Zii Jia feature in a decisive match. However, Malaysia’s early exit meant the former All England champion was unable to influence the tie, as it concluded after the third match.
Source : BERNAMA
Credit Photo : BERNAMA
