KUALA LUMPUR: National coaches and players have been encouraged to step out of their comfort zone and to keep up with the times.
BAM coaching director, Wong Choong Hann, believes it is crucial to adapt to the new changes, especially now with the Movement Control Order (MCO) in place.
Since the MCO was declared by the government a fortnight ago to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, players have returned to their homes.
However, beginning this week, the players will have a more comprehensive training programme online, where they will be joined by both coaches and even physical trainers.
Choong Hann told Timesport that this is new for everybody and it will take some getting used to.
“We have been using the Zoom application and of course not everyone is used to it. It’s somewhat new for the coaches but we need to adapt to it.
“Just as I have mentioned in the past, everything is about continuous learning, not just for players but for the coaches as well.
“At first, we all had a good laugh because for some of us, this was the first time, but we are slowly getting the hang of it.
“The programme varies – sometimes the players break down their training into sessions. And instead of watching videos online, we have our trainers go live.
“It's interactive, and we want to keep it fun for everybody.”
When asked if BAM did more than just conduct these programmes, Choong Hann said: “Right now, no. Firstly, we need to trust our athletes.
“They are professionals and as professionals, we trust that they know what to do.
“It is not necessary to spoon feed them everything.
“If there’s one good thing that has come out of this pandemic, is that we are forced to step out of our comfort zone. We must learn new things and move forward. We need to be up to date.”
With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics postponed and all BWF tournaments put on hold, it is still unclear as to how long the players will need to train on their own. The MCO is in effect until April 14, but it may be extended.