KUALA LUMPUR – With less than 23 days until the start of the Paris Olympics on July 26, Malaysia’s badminton squad are honing their preparations by organising simulation matches.
The simulation matches, which started on Monday at Akademi Badminton Malaysia, Bukit Kiara, have placed the Olympics-bound shuttlers in an environment closely resembling the conditions at the actual competition venue, the Porte de La Chapelle Arena.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) not only provides A-boards and banners identical to those used in Paris for the simulation matches but also uses the same shuttlecocks that will be used in the actual tournament.
For national men’s doubles coach Tan Bin Shen, this method is a crucial step to mentally prepare his players, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, before they compete in Paris.
The last time they competed in a tournament was at the Indonesia Open on June 4.
“We have discussed among ourselves how to prepare for the Olympics, and apart from conducting additional sessions at night, we plan to organise simulation matches.
“Aaron and Wooi Yik mentioned that during the Tokyo Olympics (in 2021), they competed without spectators, but the situation may be different in Paris. During our preparations for Tokyo, no spectators were allowed due to Covid-19.
“With these simulations, we hope they can develop a tournament feeling because it has been a month since they last competed in a real tournament,” said Bin Shen after watching Aaron and Wooi Yik compete against teammates Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani.
Today’s simulation matches were also attended by Malaysia’s chef de mission Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin and his deputy, Datuk Nicol David.
This approach is not new, as BAM has previously conducted simulation matches, including the BAM Invitational Championships and the President’s Cup in 2020 when most players were in a sports bubble during the Covid-19 outbreak.
The badminton associations of Indonesia and South Korea have also employed similar methods to prepare their players for the Paris Olympics. – July 3, 2024