KUALA LUMPUR: Former international Wong Choong Hann does not want credit for guiding the Malaysian men's team to victory at the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) two years ago.
Instead, the former world No. 1 aims to remain grounded and professional, especially since joining the Hong Kong national team last year.
Choong Hann, 47, stepped down from his role as coaching director at the BA of Malaysia to become the head coach of the Hong Kong men's singles team. He took over from another Malaysian coach, Wong Tat Meng, who is now in charge of coaching independent shuttler Lee Zii Jia.
Currently in town for the BATC, which doubles as the Asian qualifier for the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in April, Choong Hann shared his insights with the press on Sunday after testing the courts at the Setia City Convention Centre.
He expressed his motivation to inspire players like world No. 14 Lee Cheuk Yiu to qualify for the Paris Olympics in July.
"I wasn't the mastermind behind Malaysia's BATC success two years ago; I was merely fulfilling my duties with the singles department.
"For me, it's the same. Now, with Hong Kong, I will maintain the same level of responsibility and professionalism," he said.
Hong Kong are in Group A, considered the group of death, alongside top seeds China and Thomas Cup champions India.
Only the top two teams will advance to the quarter-finals, with semi-finalists earning spots in the Thomas Cup in April.
"On paper, India will be the team to beat in this year's tournament. However, we cannot write China off just because they did not field their strongest lineup.
"We will give our best because, for Hong Kong, even clearing the group stage is considered a significant achievement," Choong Hann added.
Regarding Malaysia's lineup this year and their chances of defending the men's team title, Choong Hann said: "The team look promising and solid with players like Zii Jia, Ng Tze Yong, Leong Jun Hao, and youngster Eogene Ewe. For this tournament, the team appear very balanced."
The Malaysia men's team are in Group B with Taiwan, Kazakhstan, and Brunei.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian women's team are in Group Y with Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.
