MELAKA: The drive to produce better badminton players in the historic city is set to go beyond coaching and fitness, with a pioneering sports vision programme expected to give state shuttlers a sharper competitive edge.
Melaka Badminton Association (MBA) chairman Lwee One Nam said the collaboration with Eyecon Group is expected to benefit between 40 and 50 athletes through comprehensive eye examinations, sports vision assessments and contact lens sponsorship for selected athletes under the programme.
"An athlete's success not only depends on skill and training but also on good health as well as excellent vision," he said after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between MBA and Eyecon at the Gan Hong Hoe Hall in Jalan Tengkera here on Thursday (July 9).
Eyecon was represented by its chief executive officer Datuk Dr Murphy Chan Hian Kee.
Lwee said he was among the first to experience Eyecon's artificial intelligence (AI)-powered retinal screening and found the non-invasive examination capable of producing detailed results within minutes.
"The collaboration is more than sponsorship. MBA sees it as an investment in our future players," he said.
Lwee said if the pilot project yields positive results in improving athletes' visual performance, the association will recommend the programme to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) for wider implementation.
Meanwhile, Chan said Eyecon is committed to supporting the state's badminton players through complimentary eye examinations, sports vision assessments and contact lens sponsorship to help athletes enhance their visual performance.
"As one of the fastest racket sports in the world, badminton requires exceptional visual processing, focus and rapid responses.
"Hence, the programme is designed to strengthen key visual skills, enabling athletes to react faster, track the shuttlecock more accurately and perform at their best," he added.
