Leong Jun Hao walked into the Malaysia Masters under heavy pressure. The men's singles shuttler had just been called out by Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) performance committee chairman Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei for skipping training. And the timing could not have been worse, with the accusation coming just 48 hours before the tournament began.

On Tuesday, Jun Hao crashed out in the first round at the Unifi Arena in Bukit Jalil. The world No. 25 lost 19-21, 21-23 to China's Hu Zhe An in a tight 54-minute match. The defeat stung even more because of the rankings gap. Hu Zhe An is ranked No. 69, sitting 44 places below Jun Hao.

After the match, the Malaysian shuttler did not hide his feelings. He openly admitted that the controversy had weighed on him going into the tournament. "If I say it didn't affect me, that would not be true," Jun Hao said. "But for me, I still tried to stay focused."

He also pointed out where things slipped away from him on court. "I think towards the end, there were a few moments where I was not calm enough," he shared.

Jun Hao said he gave it his all, but his opponent simply would not back down. "A few times I gave my best, but he kept coming back," he said.

"That made it hard for me to get through those crucial points," the 27-year-old added. He plans to take the next few days to reset and bounce back.

The loss also marks a tough trend for Malaysia. For the second year in a row, the country's men's singles players failed to get past the first round of the Malaysia Masters, with Justin Hoh also falling early.

Jun Hao Receives a Warning After Missing Training Sessions

Before the tournament even started, Jun Hao was already in hot water. He admitted to missing several training sessions at the Academy Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara.

He said he had his reasons but did not want to share more. "I did miss training, and there were reasons for it. I do not wish to comment further on the matter," Jun Hao said.

Lee Chong Wei did not hold back when speaking about it. He named Jun Hao as one of the players dealing with discipline issues and confirmed that BAM had given him a final warning.

National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen even suggested cutting him from the squad. But Chong Wei decided to give him one more chance.

"His discipline has been an issue because he has not been focused in training. Sometimes he does not turn up," Chong Wei said.

He also made the next steps very clear. "If I hear again that he did not attend training, he can pack his bags and leave on his own," Chong Wei warned.

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Written by

Sahil Prashar

Edited by

Sahil Prashar