PETALING JAYA: Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh wants the nation’s best shuttlers - independent and BAM - to train together under the Road to Gold (RTG) programme instead of relying on foreign sparring partners.
Hannah urged RTG athletes on both sides to hold regular joint sparring sessions, stressing that it would be wasteful not to maximise the quality already available within Malaysia.
A new centralised training venue for the professionals had been promised, but a location has yet to be finalised.
Hannah said they would discuss on a training venue for both sides to spar.
"What I want is for professional shuttlers to train together with BAM athletes. Otherwise, their sparring opportunities are wasted.
"The logistics will be determined by the RTG committee because they have their schedules to follow.
"But what I want is to see independent shuttlers train with BAM players,” said Hannah.
"Their rankings are almost the same, and if they don’t take advantage of this, it’s a loss,” she said at the National Sports Council (NSC) on Monday (Nov 17).
She added that RTG coordinator Datuk Stuart Ramalingam has begun discussions to ensure frequent combined sessions to keep the players sharp.
"Before the Paris Olympics, we approved foreign sparring partners, but in truth, the quality exists locally if pro athletes and BAM athletes cooperate," she said.
Currently, BAM players who are in the RTG programme are world No. 2 men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, world No. 5 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, world No. 2 women’s doubles duo Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, and world No. 4 mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei.
Independent men’s doubles shuttlers and world No. 4 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and world No. 9 mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie are also in the RTG programme.
