The beautiful country of Malaysia is known for many things to the world. Of those many things, the country shines brightest at badminton. And Malaysia has a wealth of trophies and accolades to prove this. Over the years, Malaysia has acquired a trophy-laden shelf to which they’ve not desired to stop adding. As is only to be expected, the astonishing prowess of the country in this regard has earned it many rivals. We’ll be looking at some of the more prominent adversaries that Malaysia has locked horns with repeatedly through the years to become the badminton titan that it is today!
Malaysia’s Rivalries in Badminton – The Top Dogs
Below are some of the hottest rivals that Malaysia has had to tango with repeatedly over the years. At the top of that list is:
Rival #1 – China
In all fairness, China isn’t just Malaysia’s rival but the great nation that remains the highest wall that any country wanting to claim the title of the best in badminton has to climb. It isn’t all hype, either. If anything, it sets even understate the point. With over 40 Olympic medals to effectively prove its dominance in this space, China remains one of Malaysia’s most vigorous opponents in any international competition. All the proof you’ll need of this rests in the Lin Dan vs. Lee Chong Wei rivalry – a tale that will last several generations!
Rival #2 – Indonesia
The list of solid rivals Malaysia boasts in badminton can only be complete with Indonesia. Perhaps because these two countries share a border, the love that they both feel for this sport is incredibly intense. The official sport of Indonesia is badminton, and they even claimed their first Olympic medal ever in that particular sport. The Olympic accolades the country holds in this area include seven gold medals, six silver medals, and six bronze medals, all of which make them genuinely worthy rivals for Malaysia.
Rival #3 – South Korea
Next on this list is the Republic of Korea, another nation equally obsessed with this grand sport. This country has carved out an undeniable space for itself in badminton and has proven itself amply on the international stage by winning 18 Olympic medals in this sport. The battle of supremacy to see who’s better between these two countries continues to rage heavily, with Malaysia drawing last blood following their overwhelming 3-0 victory over South Korea to reach the Badminton Asia Team Championships final in February 2022.
Bottom Line
Malaysia’s badminton rivalries add more thrills and chills to each game and undoubtedly contribute to why the country has continued to grow from strength to strength. Because the government knows just how fierce the competition is here, they know that a slip-up can quickly leave them trailing. So, they constantly push themselves to get better.
