KUALA LUMPUR – The Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) technical advisory panel (TAP) meeting was not about pointing fingers at anyone, said Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria after chairing the panel’s first meeting today.
Instead, the Badminton Academy of Malaysia (BAM) president explained that the meeting was held to figure out the best way to help the national badminton players improve their performance.
He added that the meeting also served as a common ground for their members – comprising local badminton greats as well as representatives from BAM, ABM, and government agencies – to express their views and provide input freely.
“The purpose of today’s meeting was not about finding fault in anyone, but we opened the floor to the (badminton) legends and other representatives to ask questions and provide feedback.
“The word that we use here is advisory and it remains as such at the moment because the coaching team will have their own plan but along the way, they will have advice and input from panel members,” said Norza.
Among those who attended the meeting were badminton greats Datuk Cheah Soon Kit, Koo Kien Keat, Tan Boon Heong, Ong Ewe Hock, and Roslin Hashim.
However, Datuk Lee Chong Wei and Datuk Seri Jalani Sidek could not attend the meeting due to other commitments overseas.
Similarly, Norza noted that the establishment of the advisory panel plays a crucial role in ensuring a transparent operation between BAM and ABM.
“I think what we are going to do here is transparency and openness as badminton is a very important sport to the Malaysians.
“We can have a first-class facility, but at the end of the day, it must also be translated into first-class performance.
“I think only the legends and players will know in terms of what is missing in a bid to improve their performance.”
Among the suggestions considered during the meeting, said Norza, was the role of the former internationals as mentors to the players, which the mechanism will be further refined soon by respective singles and doubles division heads.
“For example, Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong could mentor the doubles players through (doubles coaching director) Rexy Mainaky, while Roslin Hashim, Ong Ewe Hock, and Datuk Lee Chong Wei could assist (singles coaching director) Wong Choong Hann.
“Although we are number four in the world for the mixed team, I think there is a lot of work to be done to make sure that our players get the attention they need and for them to stay consistent in their performance.”
Meanwhile, Norza said the number of TAP members is not cast in stone and could be increased in the future if necessary.
“It is not cast in stone, we will add more people whenever necessary.
“All of them came in on a pro bono basis. So, the more the merrier. We will definitely consider other legends.”
Currently, TAP has a total of 14 members, and meetings are held once every three months.
Aside from the former badminton greats, other members are National Sports Council director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail, National Sports Institute (NSI) chief executive officer Ahmad Faedzal Md Ramli, and Kedah Badminton Association president Datuk Teoh Teng Chor.
Others include BAM development committee chairman Datuk Ng Chin Chai, BAM secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh, and former NSI chief executive Datuk Ramlan Abd Aziz. – The Vibes, February 28, 2023
