KUALA LUMPUR: The new venue for the professional shuttlers has not been finalised yet but mixed doubles shuttlers Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie hope it will come with quality courts and cooling system.
A new training base is one of the facilities that pros Soon Huat-Shevon and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani will enjoy under the Road to Gold (RTG) programme.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, who also chairs the RTG committee, had shared that plans were underway to provide independent players with a more conducive training venue to boost their preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Currently, the two pairs train at Pioneer Badminton Centre in Endah Parade along with other professional players under coach Teo Kok Siang.
“We are still waiting for the RTG committee to inform us directly on the plans for a new training centre for independent players. It’s good to know about this initiative,” said Soon Huat after a training session at Endah Parade yesterday.
“So far, we have been training here for more than three years.”
Shevon said: “The facilities here are not too bad. We have rubber courts and fans but if you are saying high level facilities, then it’s good to have high quality court flooring and cooling system.
“Court flooring is very important because badminton is a very high impact sport and as we train every day, definitely this will affect our bodies.
“We also need good cooling system and ventilation because it does effect your endurance when you train.
“In a cooler place, you can probably train a bit longer compared to a place that is hot. Probably this will help us a bit,” added Shevon.
Soon Huat-Shevon also said that it will be better for the training centre to be in a private space rather than a mall.
“If you were to ask overall, anyone will definitely prefer a private space because that will mean that it is yours alone,” said Shevon.
“Sometimes we will have to consider that it’s a public space and people have a right to rent the court as well, so it’s difficult if we need extra time for training.
“For us, it’s quite limited. Anything extra, we will have to think about the cost too.
“Then, in terms of accessibility, it’s good if the centre is located in Kuala Lumpur as everyone is based here.”
Soon Huat-Shevon, who are currently ranked No. 6 in the world, will next compete in the back-to-back Japan Open from July 15-20 and China Open from July 22-27.
