PETALING JAYA: The decision to drop badminton from the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland has elicited mixed reactions from two former national players.
Datuk James Selvaraj, who had been part of the Games as a player, coach and official, was sad to see the sport excluded.
"It's very sad that badminton has been taken out. Winning medals in a multi-sports Games gives a different feeling when compared to winning annual World Tour events," he said.
"Countries like Malaysia and India wait for this Games for a chance to win medals."
On the other hand, former men's doubles player Koo Kien Keat, who is tied with Datuk Lee Chong Wei as the most successful Malaysian at the Games with five gold medals, had a different opinion.
"Malaysia is one of the badminton powerhouses and will no doubt lose the chance to win more medals.
"We can hope that the sport will be included in the next Games. Perhaps the players should focus on the Asian Games in 2026 instead," he said.
Former gold medal winner Tan Aik Huang, 78, said it was "shocking and strange" for badminton to be dropped from the Games. "Especially so when the modern game of badminton was invented in the United Kingdom in 1873," he said.
Tan won two gold medals at the 1966 edition of the Games in Kingston, Jamaica.
He won the doubles gold with Yew Cheng Hoe and also took home the singles gold.
"In this modern era, it seems that winning gold medals is more important than participating in the sport," he said.
