KUALA LUMPUR: Do Lee Zii Jia, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, and Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah have the pedigree to excel at next month's Paris Olympics?
First and foremost, these shuttlers must address their inconsistencies to be considered serious medal contenders.
Apart from Zii Jia, who is in Sydney for the Australian Open this week, the rest of the Malaysian shuttlers have no more tournaments until the Paris Games.
Former Olympic bronze medallist Rashid Sidek said the Malaysian shuttlers do not appear convincing enough for a podium finish at the Olympics.
Rashid made this assessment after evaluating the results and performance of the Paris Olympic-bound shuttlers in the last three World Tour events.
Apart from Zii Jia, who reached back-to-back finals and won a title (Thailand Open), the others have not met expectations.
Pearly-Thinaah showed glimpses of their best form at the Indonesia Open last week but will need to demonstrate more consistent performances.
"They are too inconsistent," Rashid said bluntly.
"We all know that players like Zii Jia, Aaron-Wooi Yik, and Pearly-Thinaah are among the best when they peak. So with whatever time they have left before the Olympics, they should use it to sharpen their mental and physical game.
"Perhaps, they need to conduct more video analysis to study their game and opponents. This depends on the programmes for them.
"But that is my view. Our players can be top class, but they are too inconsistent," added Rashid, a former national coach.
The other Malaysian shuttlers bound for Paris are mixed doubles Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, who still appear a little rough around the edges, and two-time former world junior champion Goh Jin Wei.