THE storm rocking Malaysian badminton is over. At least for now.
With BAM coming to a decision to lift the two-year ban on men's singles Lee Zii Jia and women's singles Goh Jin Wei, there is now light at the end of the tunnel.
The Malaysian badminton community, especially netizens, has been split ever since Zii Jia submitted his resignation letter to BAM earlier this month.
BAM's ban on the two shuttlers drew criticism from fans and players, locally and overseas, as many felt the punishment was too harsh.
But things are starting to cool down now and BAM are keen to put the issue behind them, and focus on rebuilding.
BAM coaching director Wong Choong Hann believes it is now time to move on after the weeks-long saga that gripped the Malaysian sports scene.
"It is time to move forward and I believe this is what people would like to see," said Choong Hann.
"Our focus will now be to continue developing the younger players and we'll continue to assist and groom the likes of Ng Tze Yong, Leong Jun Hao, Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin and Lim Chong King.
"As for Zii Jia, he will continue at his own pace and he will manage his own career.
"On paper it is a challenge for us but we're not exactly starting from scratch although Zii Jia has been at the forefront for us in the past.
"Tze Yong for example has been coming along well and there are a few other youngsters who have been stepping up and are really just waiting for an opportunity.
"I believe we still have many untapped gems waiting in turn to show what they are capable of.
"And this is really a challenge for the younger players to continue to better themselves, especially through the rankings and to see if they can match up with the top players."
Choong Hann said the women's singles department is not being neglected even though there were no women's singles from Malaysia at the India Open and Syed Modi International this month.
"We are definitely committed to developing women's singles as well. But we're just waiting to enter them for the right competitions.
"Take S. Kisona for example, we want to enter her into a mid-tier competition where she can be competitive as well and regain her confidence along the way," added Choong Hann.
The next major assignment for the Malaysian shuttlers will be the Asian Team Championships at Shah Alam from Feb 15-20.