National men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi has played down claims that Malaysia’s playing patterns have been “figured out” by opponents — particularly Indonesia — describing it as a natural part of elite-level badminton.

According to Herry, such developments are inevitable in high-performance sport, where teams invest heavily in detailed match analysis and tactical preparation.

Frequent Encounters Reveal Tactical Patterns

Herry explained that the regular meetings between Malaysian and Indonesian pairs on the international circuit have given rivals ample opportunity to study and adapt to Malaysia’s tactical approach.

“Even before I came in, other countries may have already understood the playing style of Malaysian pairs. After some changes were introduced, they may have been caught off guard initially, but I’m not entirely sure how effective that element of surprise still is,” Herry said calmly.

Strong Results Under Herry’s Guidance

Since taking charge of the national men’s doubles department, Herry has enjoyed notable success. Olympic bronze medallists Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik captured three titles last season — the Asian Championships, Thailand Open, and Singapore Open — while Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun emerged champions at the Indonesia Masters and Malaysia Masters.

However, the latter part of the season raised concerns as Malaysian pairs began suffering repeated defeats against Indonesian combinations, including Sabar Karyaman Gutama–Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani and Fajar Alfian–Muhammad Shohibul Fikri.

Consistency the Key, Not Rankings

Reflecting on the challenge, Man Wei Chong admitted that Indonesian pairs have shown greater consistency, despite employing tactical approaches similar to Malaysia’s.

“Their strategy is quite similar to ours, but they are more consistent, and that’s why we keep losing to them. For me, rankings are just numbers. What truly matters is performance — if the performance is there, good results will follow,” said Wei Chong.