KUALA LUMPUR: From being a last-minute inclusion to becoming Malaysia's first singles in the final of the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC), Leong Jun Hao has won the hearts of many.
The former Asian junior champion had no choice but to take to the court today as Malaysia's first men's singles player to face China's Weng Hong Yang after world No. 10 Lee Zii Jia withdrew at the final hour with a sinus problem.
Despite the sudden development, Jun Hao stepped up to the challenge, throwing in everything that he had.
Unfortunately, Jun Hao fell short in his bid to deliver the first point as he succumbed 21-19, 21-17 to the 2023 Denmark Open champion.
Jun Hao admitted it was tough for him to "suddenly" play as the first singles.
The 25-year-old Kuala Lumpur-born player also regretted the mistakes that he made, especially during the crucial moments.
"It was tough for me because I had to play first singles, and was only informed about the change this morning.
"I also felt like I wasted converting those crucial points," lamented Jun Hao.
Known to be a fighter in team events, Jun Hao surprisingly made the cut for the team event at the eleventh hour to replace the injured Justin Hoh.
Jun Hao did not disappoint, winning all his matches except for in the semi-final against Japan's Koki Watanabe on Saturday and against Hong Yang in the final.
Jun Hao hopes his efforts won't go unnoticed, and that the BAM will include him in the Thomas Cup squad.
"Being part of this team has definitely motivated me to continue doing better in future tournaments.
"I hope my efforts here will be taken into consideration for me to be part of the Thomas Cup squad," said Jun Hao.
Zii Jia was not the only one out of the BATC, as Malaysia's No. 2 Ng Tze Yong is also still recovering from a lower back injury.
