KUALA LUMPUR: BA of Malaysia (BAM) performance committee chairman Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei admitted that the national squad failed to meet their Asian Games target in Aichi-Nagoya, returning with only a single bronze medal.
The lone medal came from women's doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah.
Chong Wei said post-mortem reports from singles coaching lead Kenneth Jonassen and doubles director Rexy Mainaky will form the basis of discussions to chart the team's way forward.
He said the post-mortem session will take place after the coaching staff return from their European assignments at the Arctic Open, Denmark Open and French Open.
Chong Wei said the results fell short of BAM's target of winning at least one silver and one bronze medal, making a comprehensive assessment necessary to address weaknesses ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
"We did fail. Our target was one silver and one bronze, but we only managed one bronze. We have to acknowledge that failure, identify the problems and make the necessary improvements.
"The Asian Games are important to us as a benchmark ahead of the Olympics, so we need to assess what is still lacking," Chong Wei said when contacted.
However, Chong Wei said the failure should not overshadow the players' commitment, as they fought their hardest throughout the tournament.
He said the 3-2 quarter-final defeat to Indonesia in the men's team event, including Leong Jun Hao's victory over then world No. 1 Jonatan Christie, showed the players were capable of mounting a strong fight.
He also praised men's doubles pair Aaron Chia-Tee Kai Wun, despite their second-round exit to South Korea's world No. 1 Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae.
Chong Wei said the defeat was disappointing because Aaron-Kai Wun led in both games before failing to close out the match.
"It was a missed opportunity because they were leading in both games. But I could see that they had given everything on court, and we have to accept the defeat," he said.
Meanwhile, Chong Wei praised Pearly-Thinaah's resurgence after struggling to find their rhythm in recent months to secure the bronze medal.
However, he said the pair must improve their physical strength and stamina to compete for top honours at the Olympics.
"I have spoken to them. If they want to become Olympic champions, they need to improve their strength and address the weaknesses that have been identified.
"We can accept defeat if the players have given everything, but after that, we need to find ways to become better," he added.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd