Ahmad Shabery Cheek insists that leaving the national team dents the credibility of BAM
Youth and Sports Minister, Ahmad Shabery Cheek the shuttlers who are leaving the national team of Malaysia is denting the repute and credibility of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), which will make it quite challenging to produce new shuttlers
who are prepared to deliver world class performance at the international level like the World Number One Lee Chong Wei.
Ahmad Shabery expressed these views after the resignations of the Men’s Doubles national shuttlers, Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari, who is World Number 18 and Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif, who has a ranking of Number 24 in the Men’s Doubles category. The pair will
continue playing as independent shuttlers.
Both shuttlers have been representing Malaysia at the international level for a prolonged period of fifteen years. Their resignation has put BAM in an awkward position as they are experienced shuttlers and the 2012 London Olympics is just 11 months away.
The Minister said, “Many people are asking about who will fill the top players shoes. In the latest case yesterday, our number two men's doubles quit the BAM and this situation is making it difficult for the government to help the sport.”
Ahmad Shabery also said that if things proceed in the same way then it will become quite difficult to produce world-class players and the country will go down gradually in this sport, which is very famous throughout Malaysia.
Shabery, while speaking about his concern added, “That is why I am very concerned about this issue (players deciding to go their own way). If more talented players are outside the ambit of BAM, the government will find it difficult to help in the development
of badminton.”
However, according to the suggestions of Chong Wei, BAM intends to send young shuttlers in more international events to provide them with the exposure of playing against top-class shuttlers. However, it is also a fact that if experienced shuttlers leave
the national team and become independent shuttlers, questions about the credibility of the governing body of badminton will definitely be in mind.
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