PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian national badminton team fared well despite bowing out at the semi-final stage at the Sudirman Cup on Sunday (Oct 3), says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

       The MCA president noted that the young team of players had shown tenacity in reaching the semi-finals at the Energia Areena in Vantaa, Finland.

       "We have never won the championship since the cup was introduced in 1989.

       "This time, our national team succeeded in moving to the semi-finals, a proud achievement and talk of the community," Dr Wee said in a Facebook post Sunday.

       His post was accompanied by photographs of the national players.

       Malaysia fell short in their bid to reach their first final after a 3-1 defeat to Japan after a spirited fight on Sunday.

       The side, comprising mostly first-timers, won a stunning victory over Indonesia a day earlier.

       "Though the national badminton players are from the youth group, they gave stiff competition to overcome their respective adversaries to reach the semi-finals," he said.

       He noted that the players were also pitted against some of the world's top ranking players.

       Dr Wee said that the experiences gained by the young players would help them towards historical wins for the nation in the future.