BATC 2026: Deja Vu As Malaysian Women Crash Out In Last Eight Again

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 6 (Bernama) -- Malaysian women shuttlers suffered a second straight quarter-final exit at the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) 2026 in Qingdao, China, today, with a 3-0 loss to two-time runners-up South Korea sealing their fate.

National number one K. Letshanaa was first up at the Qingdao Conson Gymnasium, but found herself no match for An Se Young, going down 11-21, 11-21 for her third consecutive defeat to the world number one South Korean.

Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting tried to get Malaysia back on the right track, but were blown away 13-21, 9-21 by Baek Ha Na-Kim Hye Jeong in the first doubles, before Park Ga Eun sealed South Korea's place in the semi-finals with a 21-16, 21-12 over Wong Ling Ching in the second singles.

National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen admitted that South Korea were simply too strong for Malaysia.

“I saw some positives in our attitude early on in most matches, but when the Korean players raised the performance level, we faltered.

“A lot to learn for our young players from this championship. We need to go back and keep pushing the players to reach a higher level,” he said when contacted.

The Malaysian women’s team’s best achievement at the tournament remains the two bronze medals they won in the 2020 and 2022 editions.

-- BERNAMA