Malaysia captain M. Thinaah has apologized to her Uber Cup teammates despite guiding the women's badminton squad to its best tournament finish in 16 years.

Malaysia’s campaign ended in the quarter-finals on Thursday after a 3-0 loss to the defending champion, China. Even in defeat, the young Malaysian side was praised for its performances throughout the competition.

Thinaah, who skippered the team, acknowledged that she was disappointed not to have contributed a point in the tournament. But she also credited her teammates for rising to the occasion and battling as a team.

“Definition of a captain: Leader of a team — but my team taught me otherwise,” Thinaah wrote on Facebook after Malaysia’s exit. “It’s not an easy role because there are many aspects to consider and a lot of responsibilities to be accounted for.”

The doubles specialist said her teammates made the leadership role easier through their commitment and determination on court.

“I am disappointed and sad that I couldn’t contribute a point for the team in this tournament—for that I am sorry,” she said.

“But the fighting spirit and the determination each and every one of you showcased here had me thinking of what our women’s team can do when we are ONE.”

Malaysia reached the Uber Cup last eight for the first time since 2010, a step forward for an inexperienced team.

The Malaysian captain added that every member of the squad had shown leadership qualities during the tournament.

“I am very proud of every single one of you, and I’m very lucky to have all of you as teammates.”

Youngsters Shine as Malaysia Show Promise for the Future

Malaysia's campaign ended in the quarter-finals, but some of the younger players performed notably in Denmark.

The quarter-finals saw Carmen Ting and Ong Xin Yee almost upset China’s Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning. First singles player K. Letshanaa also fought hard against her Chinese opponent, even though she lost.

A notable result from the tournament was the performance of junior pair Low Zi Yu and Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan. The duo grabbed a win against Turkiye in the group stage and then defeated Japan's Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi.

Despite injury concerns, Wong Ling Ching played through a back strain, and Goh Jin Wei returned for the quarter-finals after conceding a group-stage walkover.

The campaign was over, but Malaysia's quarterfinal appearance was the team's best result since 2010.

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Written by

Chitrak Mukherjee

Edited by

Siddharth Rawat