THE BA of Malaysia have had enough with underperforming shuttlers.
With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics fast approaching, some drastic changes are expected to be made to stop the rot.
At the recent Taiwan Open, only independent pairs Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong and Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying rose to the occasion.
In fact, V Shem-Wee Kiong went on to prove they still are a force to be reckoned with when they staged a superb comeback to land the men’s doubles title, while Peng Soon-Liu Ying made the last four.
However, notable BAM shuttlers like last year’s men’s singles champion Lee Zii Jia and men’s doubles Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik crashed out in the second round and quarter-finals respectively.
Several parties, including former international Datuk James Selvaraj, have voiced their concern over the state of Malaysian badminton.
Calls for a revamp have also been echoed by the media.
“BAM must be daring to make some changes. Some senior players must be reviewed thoroughly,” said a source close to the governing body.
“Changes are inevitable, but the players cannot be axed immediately. Perhaps give them time till the end of the year.”
BAM’s next big assignment is the Philippines Sea Games on Nov 30-Dec 11.
The National Sports Council (NSC) have set a target of two gold medals.
BAM will have their coaching and training (C&T) committee meeting today, which will be chaired for the first time by newly-appointed chairman Datuk Kenny Goh, who is also the secretary-general.