Tengku Zafrul set to be new BAM boss

KUALA LUMPUR - The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) today revealed that their council members have unanimously agreed on Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz taking over as the new president.

Outgoing BAM president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria, who announced the decision made at their third council meeting today, said the detailed timeline of Tengku Zafrul’s appointment would be discussed internally at the next council meeting in December.

"We (the BAM council members) expect the election of Tengku Zafrul will be done in January 2024,” he told a press conference here today.

Mohamad Norza had announced in August that he would step down from the post of president at the end of the year.

His decision came as a shock to many since he had announced in July that he planned to leave the national governing body only after the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Meanwhile, Mohamad Norza is optimistic that a dynamic and progressive leader like Tengku Zafrul is capable of running the show as the new boss and continuing his six-year legacy.

He said Tengku Zafrul’s vast experience in the corporate sector before venturing into the political scene would definitely help him take BAM to the next level.

He revealed that Tengku Zafrul has shown a great interest in becoming his successor while the response from BAM’s stakeholders was also positive, so far.

"My advice to him is to basically put in a lot of work to understand the ecosystem of badminton and meet all relevant stakeholders, administrators, coaches and players to get inputs on what are the areas needing improvement.

"I know it’s not easy (to become BAM president). That’s why we need someone who is strong and passionate enough to maintain our status as one of the world's top badminton forces,” he said. - BERNAMA