Misbun's fate hanging in the balance?
15 Jul 2023 07:37pm
Datuk Lee Chong Wei & Datuk Misbun Sidek - BERNAMA
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Not only Misbun, Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria said the fate of the national youth squad coaching line up will also be decided by a special committee established today to evaluate the training programme of young players after returning from Indonesia empty-handed.
He said the special committee led by BAM deputy president Datuk V. Subramaniam and assisted by BAM Secretary-General Datuk Kenny Goh will also take into account the views of the technical advisory panel at BAM which consists of seven former national badminton players including national legend Datuk Lee Chong Wei and seven sports executives in an effort to improve the youth squad training system.
"Wait for next week, generally BAM council members are not satisfied with the performance of the players in the Asian Junior Badminton Championships, that's all I can say now," he said at the BAM Council Meeting press conference here today.
The national junior squad showed a lacklustre performance in Yogyakarta when they lost to the defending champions, Thailand, 0-3, in the quarter-finals of the mixed team event while none of the shuttlers qualified for the semi-finals of the individual competition.
The last time Malaysia won a medal was in 2018 through the then women's doubles pair Pearly Tan-Toh Ee Wei who clinched silver, besides helping the then national squad to bronze in the mixed team event.
Last October, Malaysia failed to reach the quarter-finals at the World Junior Championships in Santander, Spain and finished the mixed team event in ninth place after defeating Denmark, 4-1.
Even more saddening was that for the first time, no national player qualified for the quarter-finals of the individual competition in Spain.
Mohamad Norza said the council members were also very saddened by the latest developments affecting the national youth squad which was seen to be lagging behind other big powers in the sport.
Although the rankings of national players are high, Mohamad Norza said they face problems when facing players from other powerhouses, especially in terms of intensity and mental strength.
""With the facilities provided at ABM... including four-star facilities, it was not translated (by the players) into a five-star performance," he said - BERNAMA
