KUALA LUMPUR: BA of Malaysia (BAM) coaching director Rexy Mainaky has refrained from making any technical statements ahead of Malaysia's final Group D tie against Denmark in the Thomas Cup.
Instead, the former Indonesian Olympic and world champion urged his players to be mindful of their off-court activities and preparation for the crucial tie, scheduled on Tuesday.
Both Malaysia and Denmark, who have already secured spots in the quarter-finals, will face off at the Hi Tech Zone Sports Centre in Chengdu to determine the group champions, following their respective 5-0 victories against Hong Kong and Algeria.
The team winning the group will be seeded, offering them a slight advantage in the last eight, as they will avoid facing other group winners when a fresh draw is conducted.
"I won't delve into our technical strategy, as that would essentially be revealing our plans to our opponents before the tie even begins.
"My advice to the players is simple: prioritise their health, ensure they get sufficient rest, and most importantly, focus on areas they believe will improve their performance in the tie during training.
"Beyond that, it's up to them, both on and off the court, to prepare themselves for what could potentially be a tough encounter," Rexy told Timesport when contacted.
On paper, European champions Denmark will start as favourites.
Among their notable stars are world No. 1 and reigning Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen, world No. 4 and newly crowned European champion Anders Antonsen, and world No. 4 men's doubles Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen.
Malaysia, on the other hand, will rely on world No. 10 Lee Zii Jia and former men's doubles world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik to provide additional firepower.
Denmark emerged victorious when the two countries clashed at the 2016 (Kunshan) and 2018 (Bangkok) editions.
In 2016, the Danes edged Malaysia 3-2 in the semi-finals, en route to clinching their maiden Thomas Cup title. Similarly, in 2018, they also overcame Malaysia with the same score in the group stage.