KUALA LUMPUR: Like Lee Chong Wei, Malaysia's former men's doubles ace, Tan Boon Heong, also touched on the importance of team unity, ahead of the national team's challenge at the Thomas Cup next month.
Boon Heong, who formed a formidable partnership with Koo Kien Keat more than a decade ago, admitted that skill alone will not get a team far in the competition.
For this year's edition in Chengdu, China, the Malaysian men's team have been drawn in Group D alongside Denmark, Hong Kong and Algeria.
Reminiscing the time Malaysia reached the final of the 2014 edition (New Delhi) and the 2016 (Kunshan, China) semi-finals, Boon Heong said: "It may sound trivial but I'm not going to lie, team unity goes a long way in a tournament like the Thomas Cup.
"Back in 2014, nobody expected us to reach the final but we did, and it was really because of the strong team spirit among us teammates.
"I am confident we will make the quarter-finals, but whether or not we will top the group is still up in the air; it's 50-50 against Denmark."
The last time Malaysia won the Thomas Cup was back in 1992.
Asked if he'd compare his playing days to the current batch of players, Boon Heong who won the 2006 Asian Games gold with Kien Keat, said: "The game has surely evolved, but I wouldn't compare it. Badminton is very fast today, but the fundamentals remain the same."
On Sunday, after many years Boon Heong reunited with his former partner to play a couple of exhibition matches at the Aik Cheong Badminton Championships in Kepong.
The tournament, which offered a total prize money of RM25,000, drew more than 2,000 fans, both online and those present at the Ace Sports World in Kepong.
Following the overwhelming response to the event, Boon Heong said another one will be held later this year.