Malaysia men’s national badminton team suffered a narrow 2-3 defeat to Japan men’s national badminton team in a gripping Group B clash at the Thomas Cup 2026, held at Forum Horsens.
In a tie that swung back and forth, Malaysia pushed one of the tournament’s strongest contenders to the brink—but ultimately fell just short in a decisive fifth rubber battle.
The tie began with Leong Jun Hao facing Japan’s Kodai Naraoka. Naraoka proved too strong, securing a straight-games victory (21-11, 21-15) to give Japan an early lead.
Malaysia responded through the men’s doubles pairing of Aaron Chia and Tee Kai Wun.
After dropping the opening game, the duo showed resilience to defeat Kakeru Kumagai / Hiroki Nishi 16-21, 21-14, 21-19—leveling the tie at 1-1.
Momentum shifted back to Japan in the third match as Justin Hoh fell to Yushi Tanaka in straight games (21-15, 21-12).
The fourth match proved decisive. Malaysia’s Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and Soh Wooi Yik started strongly but were edged out by Takumi Nomura / Yuichi Shimogami in a tight three-game battle (21-14, 19-21, 19-21), handing Japan an unassailable 3-1 lead.
With the tie already decided, Lee Zii Jia delivered a commanding performance in the final match.
The Malaysian star defeated Koki Watanabe 21-13, 21-19 to reduce the deficit and end the tie on a positive note.
Despite the loss, Malaysia showed strong fighting spirit against one of Asia’s badminton powerhouses, with several matches going the distance.
Credit Photo : BERNAMA
