Yesterday, National Doubles Coaching Director Rexy Mainaky expressed his willingness to take full responsibility for the national badminton squad’s shortcomings in the doubles events at the SEA Games in Thailand.
The team finished with one gold, two silver, and six bronze medals, falling well short of the four-gold target set by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).
Rexy Mainaky
Rexy expressed his willingness to resign from his position
Commenting on the national doubles squad’s failure to meet targets, Rexy Mainaky acknowledged that criticism was inevitable and stressed his readiness to take full responsibility by offering to step down from his position, according to Berita Harian.
“We aimed for four golds, and of course, people are going to question that. When it comes to responsibility, I see it as something we have to accept. That’s our duty. Based on the performance of our doubles pairs, four golds seemed possible. But in the end, we only managed one, and that’s where the responsibility comes in.
“If people want me to resign, I’m ready to step down. That’s it,” he added.
BAM President responds to Rexy
BAM President Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul has since addressed the issue in a Facebook post, acknowledging the squad’s shortcomings and accepting that not all targets were achieved.
“The 2025 SEA Games were not an easy stage for us. In sport, results on the court can’t be hidden. They demand honesty, courage, and shared responsibility,” he wrote.
Commenting on Rexy’s offer to resign, Zafrul said the outcome “is not an individual failure” but a shared responsibility among players, coaching staff, management, and leadership.
Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul
“While we didn’t meet our gold medal target, the national squad made positive progress, winning nine medals, surpassing our initial goal of seven. Even more significantly, we earned a women’s singles medal for the first time in six years, showing that our talent development is on the right track.
“I appreciate Rexy’s openness, and my stance is clear: we still need him. We win as a team, and when we lose, we share the responsibility,” he added.
“The journey isn’t over, we’ll move forward”
Tengku Zafrul emphasised that one setback doesn’t erase the national squad’s major successes this year, and that experience and a development approach can’t be judged based on a single tournament.
“Building a national squad is a long-term process. This year, we became world champions in mixed doubles, and for the first time, our women’s doubles pair reached the World Championships final, achievements that truly raise the profile of our players.
“The SEA Games have taught us valuable lessons. We will learn from them, fix our weaknesses, and come back stronger and wiser. This isn’t the end, it’s just a stepping stone.”
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know down in the comments!
Also read: “It’s every Malaysian’s dream” – Tengku Zafrul Targets Nation’s First Olympic Gold as BAM President
