PETALING JAYA: National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky has made it clear that any player who has a problem following rules within the national set-up is welcome to leave.
Rexy agreed with the concerns raised by Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) performance committee chairman Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei that some national players have been undisciplined and unwilling to follow the rules set within the national set-up.
For Rexy, being a national player is not a licence for players to do whatever they want.
“For example at home, there are rules and discipline too. If you want to leave the house, then go ahead. It is the same here at BAM. If you are not disciplined, then you are welcome to leave.
“This is a place with discipline. It is not a place for people who think they can do whatever they want just because they are national players,” said Rexy.
Rexy also believes the action taken by BAM so far is still mild compared to the punishment handed out by top football clubs around the world against players who break rules.
As such, he stressed that the rules introduced by BAM are not meant to control players, but to help them become better athletes.
“I’ll give an example. Many top footballers in the world are millionaires, but they still follow rules. We are not even at that level yet. For example, if you come back late, you can be fined RM10,000.
“In football, even wearing something that is not allowed can get you fined.
“If you are undisciplined, go out drinking and come back late, there are punishments for that too, but we have not reached that stage. We are only giving warnings and the players need to understand that.
“The rules are not there because we dislike them. If they want to succeed, these are the things they need to follow,” he added.
