HORSENS (Denmark), May 2 — National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky has conceded that Malaysia’s men’s badminton team showed an inconsistent form compared to the group stage, before falling 0-3 to defending champions China in the Thomas Cup quarter-finals here yesterday.

Rexy said the national team hit its stride early in Group B, but bad luck struck, forcing the players to finish as runners-up after a 2-3 loss to 2014 champions Japan on Wednesday.

“We should have topped the group, but even if we had, it wouldn’t mean an easy ride in the quarter-finals.

“But we must figure out why our quarter-final showing was worlds apart from the group stage,” he said in a video posted by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).

The defeat leaves Malaysia still waiting 32 years for a Thomas Cup triumph, as the country’s last came at the 1992 edition in Kuala Lumpur.

Rexy said he will review Malaysia’s Thomas Cup performance back from Horsens, plotting strategies to sustain form into knockouts, especially for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan from Sept 19 to October 4.

“We need to step it up. Two years until the next Thomas Cup, but we can’t afford this at the Asian Games, with team and individual events on the line,” he said.

Meanwhile, the doubles specialist admitted that Malaysia had to yield to China’s superiority, the 11-time Thomas Cup champions, in yesterday’s quarter-final.

He also praised singles star Leong Jun Hao’s fight despite falling to world number one Shi Yu Qi (10-21, 21-16, 9-21), and credited world fifth-ranked doubles pair Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang’s dominance over Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (24-22, 21-14) in match two.

China sealed their semi-final spot when world number seven Li Shi Feng beat Malaysia’s second singles player Justin Hoh 21-14, 21-13.

The result also means Malaysia’s 24-year wait for a Thomas Cup win over China goes on.

Malaysia’s last Thomas Cup win over China was in the 2002 semi-finals, a 3-2 victory against the hosts in Guangzhou.

Malaysia began their Group B campaign with a narrow 3-2 win over England, followed by a 4-1 victory against Finland, before falling to 2014 champions Japan.

The 2026 Thomas Cup, which began on April 24, ends tomorrow. — Bernama