Thomas Cup: Justin Apologises For Malaysia's Failure In Horsens

From Amiril Muttaqien Meketar

HORSENS (Denmark), May 1 (Bernama) -- National men's singles player Justin Hoh has apologised to all Malaysians after the national men's badminton squad was eliminated 0-3 in the 2026 Thomas Cup quarterfinals by defending champions China at the Forum Horsens here today.

Justin, who played as the second singles, said his teammates had done their best to ensure Malaysia did not return empty-handed from this prestigious world team tournament.

"I apologise to all Malaysians for not being able to bring a medal home. As a team, we gave everything. No matter the result, we tried our best because we know China is a strong team, and I hope Malaysians understand. We will fight again in the next edition," he told Bernama.

The world No. 44 ranked player said this after losing 14-21, 13-21 to world No. 7 Li Shi Feng, which saw China advance to the semifinals with a 3-0 victory over Malaysia.

World No. 1 Shi Yu Qi put China in front by overcoming the resistance of Malaysia's top men's singles player Leong Jun Hao, winning 21-10, 16-21, 21-9 in a 67-minute battle.

The 11-time champions doubled their lead when world No. 5 pair Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang defeated Malaysia's top hopes and world No. 2 pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, 24-22, 21-14, before Shi Feng emerged as the hero to secure his team's advancement.

Justin acknowledged that there is still a noticeable gap between him and other top world players following his experience at the 2026 Thomas Cup. "I gained a lot of experience playing against top players. However, I will continue to learn, train, and come back stronger," he said.

Meanwhile, Soh Wooi Yik admitted that they made several simple mistakes at crucial moments against Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang, noting that their opponents were also more dominant in the second set.

Despite the loss to Yu Qi, Leong Jun Hao - who has been struggling with form recently - remained positive after successfully forcing the Chinese champion into a deciding set.

This result means that Malaysia, who finished as Group B runners-up, failed to end their 24-year wait for a victory over China in this tournament. Malaysia's last victory against China was recorded in the 2002 semifinals when China hosted the prestigious tournament in Guangzhou, with a score of 3-2.

China will face the winner of the other quarterfinal match between hosts Denmark and Thailand in the semifinals tomorrow.

Malaysia began their Group B campaign with a narrow 3-2 victory over England, followed by a 4-1 win against Finland, before losing 2-3 to the 2014 edition champions, Japan. The 2026 Thomas Cup, which kicked off on April 24, continues until Sunday.

-- BERNAMA