SHAH ALAM – The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has expressed deep concern after several national players became victims of online abuse and threats following their recent defeats in international tournaments.
BAM issued a statement on Monday condemning the wave of hate messages directed at national shuttlers, warning that such behaviour has no place in sports or society.
“There is absolutely no place for hate, intimidation, or discrimination in badminton or in society. The safety and well-being of our athletes remain our utmost priority.
“BAM strongly condemns such behaviour and urges everyone to express their views with respect and positivity,” the organisation said in a statement.
Although BAM did not identify the players for security reasons, it is understood that the world No. 2 men's doubles pair, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, have been heavily targeted since their French Open semi-final loss to Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto on Saturday.
The Malaysian duo, who have consistently been among the top men’s doubles pairs in the world, were reportedly flooded with abusive comments on social media, with some fans even demanding that they split up.
Independent mixed doubles pair Jimmy Wong and Lai Pei Jing were also subjected to online attacks after losing the Indonesia Masters II Super 100 final to Marwan Faza and Aisyah Salsabila.
Meanwhile, veteran shuttler Goh V Shem, who finished runner-up in the men’s doubles final with his South Korean partner Choi Sol Kyu, was told by some users to “retire.”
It is believed that some of the hate comments originated from Indonesian fans following Malaysia’s losses in the tournaments.
BAM confirmed that it will continue to monitor the situation and provide full support and protection for all national players as the attacks escalate.