KUALA LUMPUR — After missing out on a gold medal at the SEA Games in Cambodia last year, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) is determined to avoid a repeat of the disappointment by fielding its strongest lineup for the SEA Games in Thailand next December.
This decision was one of the key outcomes of today’s Joint Working Committee meeting with the National Sports Council held in Bukit Jalil.
BAM Secretary-General Datuk Kenny Goh said that the 2025 calendar does not feature many major tournaments apart from the Sudirman Cup and the World Championships. As a result, BAM plans to field a stronger squad for the biennial games.
“During our discussion earlier, we focused on next year’s programme and received great collaboration and support from the National Sports Council. We went into detailed planning for 2024 and also for the 2028 Olympics.
“Before heading to 2028, there are key milestones we need to achieve along the way. Regarding the SEA Games, we’ve agreed to send a strong team, and we hope they deliver their best performance,” said Kenny.
However, BAM has yet to finalise the list of players to be sent, as it will depend on their tournament schedules.
Typically, the major tournament organised by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) in December is the World Tour Finals. BAM may need to wait to ensure there are no schedule conflicts, as the SEA Games will also take place in the same month next year.
This marks a shift in BAM’s policy, as the governing body previously relied on younger players, a strategy that paid off handsomely at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines, where Malaysia brought home three gold medals through Lee Zii Jia, S. Kisona, and the duo Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik.
However, the same formula failed to deliver last year in Cambodia. The national squad not only fell short of securing any gold medals but also suffered a shocking 0-3 defeat to the Philippines in the women’s team quarterfinals.
The outcome sparked widespread criticism from local sports fans, dealing a heavy blow to BAM.
The backlash was so intense that Michelle Chai, the Chief Executive Officer of the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM), resigned to take responsibility for the embarrassing loss. However, she has since been rehired as the administrative director. – December 12, 2024