KUALA LUMPUR — Former national junior coach Ameer Amri Zainuddin sees untapped potential among para-badminton players at the grassroots level and is now focused on developing this talent as a priority.
Ameer, who left the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) last month, has returned to his siblings’ Iszz Brothers Academy in Bangi, where he is working on a talent identification and development programme specifically for para-badminton players.
The former World Junior Championships silver medalist has received several coaching offers from different states but feels that support for para-athlete development remains limited in Malaysia.
Speaking to Scoop, Ameer shared that his inspiration came from running a badminton clinic for students with disabilities at Sekolah Kebangsaan Jalan Batu, Kuala Lumpur earlier this year.
Following this, he and his brother, Amzar, met with Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim to present their proposal and seek ministry support.
“Much was discussed with YB Adam Adli during his visit to our academy on November 7, and one of the key points we presented was the grassroots development programme.
“What sets us apart is that we are not just focusing on the general grassroots players but specifically aiming to identify and nurture talent from the disabled community.
“Apart from raising awareness among parents to encourage their children with disabilities to participate in sports, I also want them to see that sports could be a potential career path, one that could change their family’s future,” Ameer said when contacted.
Ameer pointed to the success of para-badminton star Cheah Liek Hou, whose two gold medals at the Paralympic Games inspired many, especially parents, to see new possibilities in sports for disabled athletes.
“Malaysia is a prominent force in badminton, and I believe there’s no reason we can’t search for new talents within this group.
“Who knows, they could become the next generation after Liek Hou,” Ameer added.
While Ameer acknowledges that coaching para-athletes presents unique challenges, he and his team at Iszz Brothers Academy are prepared.
“My coaching experience is still growing, but I believe any challenge can be overcome,” he said.
“In para-badminton, there are six disability categories, and we’ll work to identify promising players across all of them.” — November 17, 2024