Badminton legend Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei has called on fans and stakeholders to give national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen the time and space he needs to develop world-class talent.
Jonassen, who assumed the role around eight months ago, arrived in Malaysia with an impressive résumé, having guided Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen and world No. 3 Anders Antonsen. Tasked with the ambitious goal of grooming a player capable of winning Malaysia’s first Olympic gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, the Danish coach is already facing scrutiny as national singles players struggle to produce consistent results.
Malaysia’s current top-ranked men’s singles player, Leong Jun Hao, has shown flashes of potential — climbing to world No. 24 this week and scoring wins over higher-ranked opponents — but has yet to make a breakthrough. In the women’s singles camp, K. Letshanaa leads the charge but similarly lacks major results on the world stage.
Chong Wei, however, defended Jonassen’s early tenure, stressing that transforming raw talent into Olympic contenders is a long-term project.
“I’ve met him and we discussed how to help the top singles players,” Chong Wei said. “He has good ideas, but we must give him time — not just a month or a year. He needs at least one full Olympic cycle, which means four years. Only then can his methods be properly evaluated.”
Chong Wei likened the process to raising a child. “Even learning to walk takes a year — how can we expect to produce a world champion in less time?”
He made the comments after receiving the Darjah Gemilang Pangkuan Negeri (DGPN) — which carries the title Datuk Seri — during the 2025 Penang State Awards ceremony held in conjunction with the 84th birthday celebration of Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Ramli Ngah Talib.
Also honoured at the ceremony were Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, who received the Darjah Panglima Pangkuan Negeri (DPPN), and Sports Commissioner Suhardi Alias, awarded the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri (DSPN).
