KUALA LUMPUR – The Selangor Badminton Association (SBA) has moved to modernise grassroots officiating by introducing Reveal Lens, an AI-powered instant review system (IRS), at junior tournaments.
Developed by local company Revealtek Sdn Bhd, the system is one of five IRS technologies approved by the Badminton World Federation (BWF), providing a more affordable and accessible alternative to conventional setups like Hawk-Eye.
Unlike conventional setups, Reveal Lens is wireless and portable, enabling players to challenge line calls with AI-driven decisions delivered within seconds — a feature typically reserved for elite international competitions.
Speaking to Scoop, SBA president Datuk V. Subramaniam said the initiative was aimed at exposing young players to professional-level officiating standards early in their development.
“It is SBA’s initiative, and we covered the cost of first using Reveal Lens at the Selangor Junior Closed Championships in December last year,” said Subramaniam, who is also deputy president of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).
“When Revealtek approached us, we saw an opportunity to give our young players the same standard of officiating they would experience at international events,” he added.
Subramaniam revealed that discussions with the technology provider had begun as early as last year, before the system was rolled out across several competitions.
“The owner of Revealtek is from Australia, and they also have a sister company in Malaysia. Their technical experts are from India, and they’ve already developed the system. In fact, they had discussions with me about it last year.
“We first introduced it in Selangor towards the end of last year, including at Kampung Atap for junior players.
“For me, when it comes to junior development, I want the players to truly enjoy the technical side of the game. This idea was one of the inspirations I brought to my committee, and they were all in agreement.”
The system was first deployed in December, before being expanded to the Junior Elite Tournament, which featured teams from Selangor, Melaka, Perak, Penang and Perlis.
Subramaniam said the response from players and officials had been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the added value of real-time match analysis.
“When I introduced it in Selangor, the response was positive. We installed two 85-inch TVs in the hall, allowing us to review recorded matches.
“It’s not animation as you can actually see the shuttle movement and how it drops in real time. That level of review gives a significant advantage to both players and coaches.”
He added that the technology was also utilised during the Under-18 Petronas Championship on April 22.
“We also hosted the Under-18 Petronas Championship, and we utilised Reveal Lens technology. In fact, many states have shown interest. The players really enjoyed the experience.”
With growing interest nationwide, Subramaniam said he plans to table a proposal to BAM to expand the use of Reveal Lens at national-level tournaments, noting that only the Malaysia Open and Malaysia Masters currently utilise Hawk-Eye.
“Once I receive a proper proposal from the company, I intend to bring it forward to BAM,” he said.
Meanwhile, Revealtek chief executive officer and co-founder Nizam Mohamed said the system was designed to overcome financial and logistical barriers that have limited the use of IRS technology at lower-tier events.
Traditional IRS setups can cost upwards of US$100,000 (RM395,000) per tournament, making them impractical for most domestic competitions.
“With its portability and reduced cost, Reveal Lens could pave the way for wider adoption of technology-driven officiating across Malaysia’s badminton landscape, starting from the grassroots level,” he briefly said when contacted. – May 5, 2026