BUKIT KIARA: National badminton coaching director Rexy Mainaky hopes that the Road to Gold (RTG) programme will continue supporting its athletes in the long run.
“If we want to develop successful athletes, we need time to do so,’’ said Rexy.
“As you can see, RTG helped us out for about only a year and we were able to come back with medals. If it had started earlier, maybe we could have displayed a better performance.”
Rexy expressed his thanks and noted that if it wasn’t for the RTG, the team might not have been able to achieve the recent results.
“Our training camp at Aire Sur La Lys region, France, was splendid. All the facilities were top-notch, our players were able to focus without any distractions and if we needed anything, the staff would provide for us.”
He hopes that the RTG can continue to support the badminton programmes starting from now for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Meanwhile, Rexy also urged the country not to rely solely on badminton for medals.
He said Malaysia should focus on other sports, suggesting that athletics, swimming, and gymnastics offer better medal chances due to the possibility of multiple events per athlete.
Rexy cited the Philippines as an example, noting their success with two gold medals in gymnastics through Carlos Yulo and their first gold medal in weightlifting at Tokyo 2020.
“The Philippines previously won in weightlifting and then this year, they won in gymnastics. So you can see that they have been investing in other sports to bring back medals,” he said.
Women’s doubles shuttler M. Thinaah also thanked the RTG for their support.
“After the French Open, we kind of lost our rhythm. When RTG allowed us to bring over the Indonesian players for training, we were able to introduce new elements to our gameplay,” Thinaah said.
“I think what’s important is their continuous support which they have been doing for over a year, but I hope we can explore new ideas to prepare us for upcoming major tournaments.”
Men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik also expressed their desire for the RTG to prolong their assistance,
Aaron said: “Time is important for athletes. Achieving goals requires planning and preparation. Short-term support may not be as effective.
“RTG has helped us significantly, but longer or earlier support would enhance our preparation.”
