Shuttlers V Shem and Soon Huat served with a warning over Instagram postings

Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria: This is our first warning

KUALA LUMPUR: Shuttlers Goh V Shem and Goh Soon Huat have been reprimanded for their postings on Instagram accounts after bronze-medal playoffs at the recent Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. 

The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) council that met on Saturday deemed their postings as disrespectful and did not portray a good conduct of a national player.

Both V Shem and Soon Huat had aired their disappointments by pointing out the absence of VIPs during the bronze-medal matches. 

V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong defeated Sri Lanka’s Sachin Dias-Buwaneka Goonethilleka for a bronze while Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying defeated Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Ashwini Ponnappa of India for the third place.

Soon Huat and his partner Shevon Lai Jemie had crashed out earlier in the quarter-finals. 

“We have warned two top players in regards to their Instagram posts. They posted that there were no VIP’s during matches because these VIPs did not consider bronze as important. The statement did not reflect good attitude,” said BAM’s president Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria after chairing the council meeting at Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM).

Soon Huat’s Instagram posting stated “Bronze medal match not so important?” And followed by three question marks and a sad emoji.

V Shem was more blunt in his posting - “Players fighting for the bronze medal. But, VIPs gone after we lose in the semi-final match.”

Norza was not pleased with the tone of sarcasm by the players.

“We do not care whether they are senior or a junior player but there is a strict disciplinary code that they need to adhere to.

“We are not stopping them from using the social media platforms to express themselves but they must understand that there is a limit. They are players under BAM and they have to behave accordingly.

“We also do not condone to players showing lack of remorse after defeats. Some of them post photos at the beach and being happy. 

“People may not like this and brand us old school but we do not condone this. This is our first warning to our players.”