KUALA LUMPUR – National women’s singles shuttler K. Letshanaa’s return to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) will be an advantage to the national setup, said national singles coaching director Wong Choong Hann.
Choong Hann said the 20-year-old shuttler’s return has been in discussions since late last year, not just because of her recent success at the Uganda International Challenge.
“Letshanaa has been progressing well. She has also matured emotionally and mentally and is more determined.
“A mutual understanding was formed earlier when we discussed her return to BAM at the end of last year.
“She has been on our radar, and we have been tracking her progress even though she was not under our wing,” said Choong Hann when met at Akademi Badminton Malaysia here today.
Letshanaa clinched the Uganda International Challenge on Sunday, her second international challenge title after having won the Mauritius International Challenge in 2018.
Choong Hann noted that the invitation letter for Letshanaa was sent in early February while the tournament was still ongoing.
As such, he said the national body decided it was best for her to join them after coming back from the tournament.
In the meantime, Choong Hann also assured that they will do their best to make sure that the Selangor-born shuttler receives full medical attention should her old injury reappear.
“Her (back) injury, for now, is 100% okay, but as it is with any other high-performance athlete, injuries come and go. It is our duty to do our best to minimise that.
“As some injuries are unavoidable, we will help to realign her body posture and movements on the court so that they give less stress to her lower back, other than strengthening her muscles and providing full medical support,” said the former world No. 1 men’s singles player.
Although Letshanaa will not be able to represent the country at the upcoming SEA Games, Choong Hann said, there will be plenty more opportunities for her to prove her worth at other competitions. – The Vibes, February 28, 2023
