PETALING JAYA: The national junior badminton development programme needs to be revamped.
Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria (pic) believes that the changes are essential for the sport’s future after seeing the shuttlers fail to win a single medal in the ongoing Asian Junior Championships in Yogyakarta.
Boys’ doubles pair Bryan Goonting-Low Han Chen were the only representatives to reach the quarter-finals.
The duo went down 21-18, 14-21, 16-21 to Indonesia’s Zidane Efendi-Kleopas Prakoso in the last eight on Friday.
It was the second poor showing from the junior players in major tournaments after they also returned home empty-handed from the World Junior Championships in Santander, Spain, last October.
Norza was disappointed after the latest debacle.
“After the world junior meet, junior singles coaching director Datuk Misbun Sidek made some proposals to restructure the coaching programme and send the players for more international competitions,” said Norza, after chairing the BAM council meeting at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara yesterday.“We made those changes but yet our players have under-performed again.
“Our players are highly ranked but struggled in terms of intensity, speed and mental strength when facing players from the top four countries (China, Japan, Indonesia and South Korea).
“They are given four to five-star facilities and accommodation here in BAM but their performances don’t justify that.
“We need to ask if they are getting too comfortable.
“A special taskforce headed by BAM deputy president Datuk V. Subramaniam and assisted by secretary Datuk Kenny Goh will be established to look through our present system and propose changes.”
On whether Misbun’s position was under threat, Norza replied: “We will review this and possibly make a decision next week.”
Meanwhile, around RM5.5mil will be allocated to the 15 state badminton associations in an effort to boost the development of players.
“We have allocated RM5.5mil for the running of the state associations like administration and coaches.
‘’States will also get more funds if they organise more tournaments.”
Meanwhile, Norza also announced that he will be stepping down from his position as BAM president after the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I will leave BAM immediately after the Paris Olympics,” said Norza, who was recently appointed as the chairman of the Sports for All Committee of the Olympic Council of Asia.
He is also the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president.
“A good organisation needs a succession plan and we need a successor prior to the Olympics, which will allow me to focus on OCM, OCA and other personal interests.
“We need the right person to bring BAM to the next level.”
