KUALA LUMPUR – Independent men’s doubles pair Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi might get the boot from the Road to Gold (RTG) programme, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has hinted today.
Yew Sin and Ee Yi were part of the first batch of athletes to be roped into the high-performance programme to help the country win its first Olympic gold medal at Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028.
However, the world number 12 pair have failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics after their first-round exit at the hands of China’s Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi at the All England Championships last week.
“Usually the decision to remove athletes from the programme is made by the RTG committee,” said Hannah.
“But if you see from the previous decision made with regard to divers Datuk Pandelela Rinong Pamg and Nur Dhabitah Sabri, I think you know what the final decision will be.
“So let’s wait for the announcement from the committee.”
Hannah was speaking at a press conference after launching the 2024 edition of Le Tour de Langkawi at the National Sports Council here today.
Pandelela and Nur Dhabitah failed to qualify for the Paris Games after flopping at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar last month.
Subsequently, they were swiftly removed from the RTG programme.
For a country to qualify to have two badminton doubles pairs in Paris, they need to be ranked in the top eight of the Race to Paris rankings published by the Badminton World Federation.
Yew Sin and Ee Yi are 13th in the rankings while last night’s All England runners-up Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik are fifth. The qualifying period for Paris ends on April 28.
Meanwhile, Hannah urged Aaron and Wooi Yik to prioritise avoiding any injuries in the lead up to the Olympics.
“Not only for Aaron-Wooi Yik but for our national track cyclists also, I want them to be careful and not get injured.
“All the top-up facilities requested by RTG athletes have been fulfilled and from now until July, it is all in the hands of our athletes.
“For the others, we should keep supporting them in their dream to chase Olympic gold,” Hannah added. – March 18, 2024