PETALING JAYA: The Johor Badminton Association (JHBA) are ready to extend support to Go Pei Kee should she wish to remain involved in badminton.
JHBA president Datuk Chong Juong Chain said the women’s doubles player is seen as a valuable asset to the Johor squad, given her vast experience at the international level.
He added that Pei Kee, who is only 23, still has much to offer and it would be a waste if her talent is left untapped.
As such, Juong Chain has opened the door for Pei Kee to return to serve her home state, including a possible role as a coach if she is interested.
“Pei Kee is a Johor player who has just left the national team, so we are ready to support her as she is still young and needs a career. I will sit down with her to understand her plans, what she hopes to achieve, or whether she is interested in helping out at our academy.
“I do not want to comment further on her meeting with Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei as it was a closed-door session. I will leave it to them to speak about it.
“At JHBA, our coaching team always welcome her as we need experienced people. Our coaches are still relatively young and her presence would certainly add value to the team,” said Juong Chain.
JHBA are currently preparing a strong squad for the Malaysia Games (Sukma), which will be held in Selangor from Aug 15-24.
Earlier, Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) performance committee chairman Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei revealed that efforts to persuade Pei Kee to return to the national squad were unsuccessful.
Pei Kee also recently shared a lengthy post on social media, explaining that she is currently rediscovering herself and remains uncertain about her next step after leaving the national set-up in January.
She previously partnered Teoh Mei Xing, with the pair reaching a career-high of world No. 23 and winning the Malaysia Super 100 title in 2024.
However, a series of injuries last year, coupled with inconsistent results, led her to express her intention to split with Mei Xing before her sudden departure from the national camp earlier this year.
