KUALA LUMPUR – Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh is happy with the involvement of young and independent shuttlers at the Sudirman Cup held in Suzhou, China.
Yesterday, Malaysia fell to South Korea in the semi-finals of the Sudirman Cup, losing 3-1.
Against South Korea, Malaysia fielded the likes of K. Letshanaa, Lee Zii Jia, Toh Ee Wei, Chen Tang Jie, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, who are all under the age of 26.
“We see that they have given a chance to young and independent players at the Sudirman Cup.
“The mix of Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and independent players is good to see, especially when they are donning national colours.
“I want this synergy to continue,” she said after officiating the National Martial Arts Championships at Stadium Titiwangsa here today.
Lee Zii Jia and Goh Jin Wei are independent shuttlers.
“I hope that BAM and the Road to Gold (RTG) programme will continue to work together.
“This is so the independent players can have consistent sparing partners to help them improve their performance,” she said.
Malaysia’s semi-final run equals their best showing at the biennial mixed team tournament, having finished at the same stage in 2009 and 2021 respectively. – The Vibes, May 21, 2023