SHAH ALAM: Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria (pic) has expressed satisfaction with the unwavering commitment and fighting spirit displayed by national players at the Asia Team Championships despite grappling with fitness issues among key players.

Norza said the incident involving two singles aces, Lee Zii Jia and Ng Tze Yong, who were rested for several matches due to breathing difficulties caused by sinus and back injuries, was beyond BAM’s control.

In fact, he said Malaysia’s decision to field Leong Jun Hao as the first singles in the final against China yesterday deserved praise, as the world number 38 appeared ready to shoulder the responsibility in future championships.

“We had the strength in 2024 but faced various injury setbacks, leading to an understrength team in the final.

“Nevertheless, we congratulate the players who have given their all to reach the final stage,” he said.

Malaysia lost 0-3 to China in the final at the Setia City Convention Centre on Sunday.

Norza also opined that Malaysia’s triumph over Taiwan and Japan in the quarter-finals and semi-finals proved that they did not take their journey in the biennial tournament lightly.

He also expressed confidence that the coaching team, led by Rexy Mainaky, would take a proactive approach by conducting a post-mortem analysis to evaluate the team’s performances in preparation for the Thomas Cup Finals in Chengdu, China this April. — Bernama