KUALA LUMPUR: While the rest of Malaysia celebrates Chinese New Year (CNY), the nation's top shuttlers are taking one for the team by sacrificing their family time to prepare for next week's Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC).
Both the men's and women's shuttlers had a day off on Saturday and will resume training on Sunday in preparation for the BATC, an Asian qualifier for the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals.
The tournament begins on Tuesday at the Setia City Convention Centre in Selangor.
BA of Malaysia (BAM) coaching director Rexy Mainaky said the players are aware of the expectations and understand what is required of them.
"Yes, the timing is not ideal as BATC clashes with CNY. However, the players understand this and won't let it impact their preparations for the competition.
"Up to Friday, we had one training session. The players were given time off on Saturday to spend the first day of CNY with their families, and then it's back to training again on Sunday.
"I can assure you, all our players and coaches are in the right frame of mind; Physically and mentally, we are very focused on the BATC," said Rexy.
The biennial BATC will be hosted for the second consecutive time at the Setia City Convention Centre.
Two years ago, the Malaysian men's team clinched their maiden title, while the women's team reached the semi-finals.
The top four in each category (men's and women's) will qualify for the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in April.
However, the men's team should qualify for the Thomas Cup based on their team ranking.
Malaysia are in Group B in the men's team event with Taiwan, Kazakhstan and Brunei, while the women's team are in Group Y alongside Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.