BADMINTON Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz stressed that the services of national doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky are still needed, despite his willingness to take responsibility, including stepping down, following his team’s failure to meet the targets at the SEA Games Thailand 2025.
He said experience and a development philosophy should not be judged based on a single tournament, but must instead be viewed within the broader context of the national team’s long-term development.
“I appreciate Rexy’s openness, and my stance is clear – we still need him.
“One failure does not negate the major successes achieved this year. We emerged as world mixed doubles champions, and for the first time, the women’s doubles team advanced to the World Championship final, an achievement that elevated the standing of the country’s players,” he said in a statement posted on his social media accounts recently.
Tengku Zafrul said the SEA Games provided valuable lessons, and BAM would continue to learn from the experience, address its shortcomings and emerge with greater maturity, stressing that the Games were not the end but a stepping stone towards future success.
“As the president of BAM, my commitment remains firm to build Malaysian badminton on a solid foundation and ensure long-term success. This journey is not over, and we will continue to move forward together,” he said.
He also stressed that what transpired at the Thailand SEA Games was not an individual failure, but a collective responsibility involving the players, coaching staff, management and leadership, guided by the principle that “we win as a team, and when we lose, we are also jointly responsible”.
“The 2025 SEA Games was not an easy stage for us. We acknowledge our weaknesses and accept that not all targets were achieved. In sports, results on the court cannot be hidden – they demand honesty, courage and shared responsibility,” he said.
“Although the gold medal target was not achieved, the national squad demonstrated positive progress by winning nine medals, surpassing the initial target of seven. More significantly, we secured a women’s singles medal for the first time in six years, which shows that our talent development is on the right trajectory,” he said.
On Sunday, Rexy openly expressed his willingness to shoulder responsibility following the failure of his men’s doubles players to meet the targets set at the SEA Games Thailand 2025, including stepping down from his position if pressured by any party, after BAM fell short of its four-gold-medal target at the biennial Games.
Rexy said he was prepared to shoulder the responsibility, describing the SEA Games as having its own prestige as it is held once every two years.
The national badminton team concluded their SEA Games Thailand 2025 campaign with one gold, two silver and six bronze medals.
Top national women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan–M. Thinaah emerged as the only Malaysian badminton representatives to clinch gold at the Games after a hard-fought victory over Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma–Meilysa Trias Puspitasari 21-16, 19-21, 21-17.
The triumph ended Malaysia’s decade-long wait for a women’s doubles gold medal at the SEA Games, with the last title won by Amelia Alicia Anscelly–Soong Fie Cho at the 2015 edition in Singapore. – BERNAMA
