Honoured: Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei receiving their mock cheque from BAM president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star
PETALING JAYA: The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) are looking to ensure that prize money for their players will be structured more fairly and distributed transparently.
BAM president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the national body were prepared to reward players for their achievements, but stressed that the incentives must be standardised so that everyone knows what they are entitled to when they perform well.
He added that discussions were underway to finalise the details before presenting the plan to all stakeholders, particularly the players, as part of efforts to recognise their hard work and dedication to the country.
“We have contracts with specific terms. If the players win tournaments or improve their world rankings, they will receive incentives as agreed.
“We will be holding a discussion on Oct 18 to go through this matter in detail, as I want to ensure the process is transparent and fair for all players.
“Logically, the better your performance, the greater the reward. We need to establish a fair and transparent formula that truly reflects their achievements,” said Zafrul.
Zafrul celebrated not only the players but also the coaching team who contributed to Malaysia’s campaign at the World Championships in August during a simple ceremony at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara yesterday.
World mixed doubles champions Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei continued to reap the rewards of their remarkable triumph, receiving a total of RM460,000 in incentives.
The total includes RM300,000 from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), RM100,000 from Yonex and RM60,000 from Affin Bank.
Mixed doubles head coach Nova Widianto was also rewarded with RM15,000, while six members of the mixed doubles support staff shared RM18,000.
Women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, who finished as runners-up at the same championship, received a total of RM192,500 comprising RM112,500 from BAM, RM50,000 from Yonex and RM30,000 from Affin Bank.
“It’s an honour for us to receive such strong support from Tengku Zafrul, BAM and our sponsors. We’re truly grateful that they’ve always stood behind us,” said Ee Wei.
“Our success isn’t just for ourselves, but also for BAM, our sponsors, coaches and the entire support team,” she added.
