KUALA LUMPUR – Team Lee Zii Jia should not have made a big deal of the rule at Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) that requires professional players to don neutral attire, or attire without personal branding during training, said Datuk Seri Jalani Sidek.
The 58-year-old badminton legend is of the opinion that world number 13, Zii Jia should be grateful that the national body allows professional players to train with the national team, as it brings a lot of benefits compared to training on their own.
“Why is there a need to bring up this issue? BAM has given permission to professional players to train at ABM, and it can help them. When I was playing, I did not get this type of benefit.
“I agree with (Datuk) Lee Chong Wei. Japan has no issue; some of their players are sponsored by Mizuno or other brands, but they can respect the sponsors of the national body.
“When associations have rules, we have to follow them. For me, trivial things like this shouldn’t be blown out of proportion. They have to realise that they are on the outside (no longer with BAM) now.
“This is not good for the national badminton scene. If it is true that they want to train at ABM, they have to make sacrifices, and this issue should not happen,” he said.
Previously, Team Lee Zii Jia’s coaching director Wong Tat Meng made a post on his Instagram account accusing BAM of bullying professional players by restricting them from donning training attire with brands that would clash with BAM’s partners.
Tat Meng said the rule only came into effect when they were preparing for the World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, which start tomorrow.
BAM, however, explained that the rule has been in place for a few years, and they have a contractual obligation to their sponsors.
The controversy led Zii Jia’s team to receive a vocal reaction from national badminton icon Datuk Lee Chong Wei, who slammed their actions. He alleged that they were deliberately trying to cause problems, when other professional players had no such issues. – August 20, 2023