Former great Foo Kok Keong (third from left).
KUALA LUMPUR: National badminton legend Datuk Foo Kok Keong is keeping faith in the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) to make the wisest of decisions - whether to send the strongest squad or the backup squad to the SEA Games in Thailand in December.
He said the final decision lies with the governing body: whether to prioritise the opportunity to win gold medals on a regional stage or to blood rookies with early exposure to top-flight competition and primed for the global stage.
"(But) Without fighting spirit and team spirit, we won't get it. It depends on BAM whether they want to give experience to the back-up players or send the best shuttlers to win at the SEA Games.
"During my time, we played everything in our way - the SEA Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and most of the team and individual competitions. I went through everything, and that's what you called experience," he said.
He was speaking at a collaboration event between Eco-shop and the Famemas Malaysia Sports Supporters Club, which will send a special delegation to cheer on the national contingent in Thailand.
According to Kok Keong who once contributed to the 1991 Manila SEA Games gold medal tally and who was the country's first world No. 1 in men's singles in 1991, whatever decision BAM will take should be welcomed positively by the players selected for this mission.
Previously, BAM confirmed that it will send the strongest line-up of players to the biennial Games for the gold hunt.
The final list of players is expected to be decided soon through a meeting with BAM doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky.
The last time Malaysia struck gold was at the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam through the mixed doubles pair of Chen Tang Jie-Peck Yen Wei.
In the last edition in Cambodia, the national shuttlers only brought home two silver and four bronze medals. -Bernama
