BANGKOK: Malaysia’s underwhelming badminton campaign at the Thailand 2025 SEA Games has prompted national doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky to openly accept responsibility, including the possibility of stepping down from his role.
The national team ended the tournament with one gold, two silver and six bronze medals, falling well short of the four-gold target set by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).
Rexy said that as the person overseeing men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles, he could not shy away from accountability if there were calls for leadership changes following the disappointing outcome.
“When targets are not met, people will naturally question leadership. If that means I need to step aside, I am prepared,” he told reporters in Bangkok.
He explained that the four-gold target was set based on the players’ form and competitive potential ahead of the Games, making the failure to achieve it particularly painful.
Malaysia’s sole gold medal came from women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, who ended a 10-year drought in the event with a hard-fought final victory over Indonesia. However, the inability of other sectors to deliver gold medals overshadowed that success.
The results have sparked renewed debate over Malaysia’s badminton development strategy and whether structural changes are required to restore regional dominance.