KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian badminton is at a crossroads in men's singles, with Taiwan and France emerging as the new forces in the sport.
Former BA of Malaysia (BAM) high-performance director Datuk James Selvaraj has sounded the alarm over Malaysia's lack of depth, especially after a string of shock results at the All EnglandAll England.
The men's singles event in Birmingham saw world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi of China as the only top-five player to withstand the relentless challenge of the rising stars, with the rest crashing out before the quarter-finals.
Taiwan made the biggest impact, with six players qualifying for the Super 1000 event.
The relatively unknown Lee Chia Hao (world No. 22) stunned the field, reaching the final after beating Alex Lanier of France (world No. 10) in the semis.
The 26-year-old became only the second Taiwanese shuttler, after Chou Tien Chen (2020), to reach the All England final.
Taiwan's strong representation in Birmingham included Tien Chen (No. 9), Lin Chun Yi (No. 12), Wang Tzu Wei (No. 25), Chi Yu Jen (No. 32) and Su Li Yang (No. 37).
In contrast, Malaysia only had two representatives — world No. 7 Lee Zii Jia and No. 24 Leong Jun Hao — both of whom crashed out in the first round.
Ironically, Jun Hao, also 26, beat Chia Hao to win the Malaysia Masters Super 100 in 2023.
James believes Malaysia's limitations in men's singles were masked for years by the dominance of Lee Chong Wei, who won 69 titles before retiring in 2019.
With Ng Tze Yong sidelined for a year following double back surgery, and Jun Hao and Justin Hoh (No. 50) struggling for consistency, Malaysia are running out of options.
Zii Jia, the Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist, remains the country's best player but is inconsistent.
"The Taiwanese players and Frenchman Lanier were outstanding at the All England. It's a clear sign their associations are investing in development and exposing back-up players early," said James.
"Taiwan now have a big talent pool and strong players across men's and mixed doubles. Their club system complements national training, and they send players to compete at all BWF tournament levels.
"Lanier, at just 20, is shaping up to be the next Viktor Axelsen, while Thailand also have a strong mix of young talents and experienced stars."
James warned that BAM may have grown complacent due to Chong Wei's two-decade dominance.
"After he retired, Malaysia's men's singles were badly exposed.
"Now, Tze Yong is injured, while Jun Hao and Justin are struggling to make a mark. We don't have time to waste."
James urged new singles head coach Kenneth Jonassen to focus on youth and fast-track their development.
"Jonassen seems to be shaking up the system, which is good, but he must monitor the juniors closely and get them into lower-tier tournaments early," he said.
The former national shuttler also stressed the need for BAM to develop a stronger talent pool, as Zii Jia is injury-prone and inconsistent.
Taiwan have already won two Olympic golds — both in men's doubles through Lee Yang-Wang Chi Lin at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
Now, their men's singles stars could shake up the form book at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if their meteoric rise continues.
