KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia captain Soh Wooi Yik has described the central training camp being held at Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM), in preparation for the coming Thomas and Uber Cup, as a beneficial experience in fostering high team spirit and cooperation.
The tournament kicks off this Saturday in Chengdu, China until May 5.
The central training camp, which began last Monday, has brought together all 19 national players slated to compete in the Thomas and Uber Cup, except for men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia, who opted to train independently with his coach, Wong Tat Meng.
Initially, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) planned to hold the central training camp in Macau and Hong Kong.
However, it was cancelled, leading all national players to continue training at ABM in Bukit Kiara.
For Wooi Yik, although dividing time between training and attending team-building sessions throughout the central training camp is demanding, he believes it is instrumental in building close relationships among teammates.
This marks Wooi Yik’s second stint as team captain, having previously led the national squad during the Badminton Asian Team Championships (BATC) in Setia Alam last February.
“Actually, it’s quite tough because the time is very tight for us, but sacrifices need to be made because this is also for the team. It is quite tiring, but we persevere, hoping to give our best in the Thomas Cup, and we hope all of this is worth it.
“We are now much closer, especially me and Haikal (Nazri) because as senior players, we like to share many things with our juniors. The juniors respect us and are willing to hear our opinions, so there is a connection among us.
“I’m still learning to become a team captain. I always ask Aaron (Chia) to help me because he is much older than me in terms of leading the team.
“Like BATC, the team is different from the Thomas Cup team now. I also learned something, especially how we should handle crucial situations. For example, I can see that Haikal and (Choong) Hon Jian are quite nervous when they play, even against lower-ranked teams, but I offered them some good advice.
“So I think it will be a good opportunity for us at the Thomas Cup as an underdog team,” said Wooi Yik.
For this edition of the Thomas Cup, Malaysia have been drawn into Group D alongside Denmark, Hong Kong and Algeria, while for the Uber Cup, they will compete against Thailand, Chinese Taipei and Australia.
Meanwhile, Wooi Yik prefers not to dwell too much on the rewards that BAM will offer if the national squad succeeds in ending the country’s 32-year wait to bring home the Thomas Cup.
It is understood that BAM is prepared to offer rewards exceeding RM1 million to the national players if Malaysia become champions of this edition.
“Undoubtedly, when there are rewards offered, it will ignite our spirits and boost our motivation.
“However I don’t want to think too much about that because it’s still too far away,” he added. – April 22, 2024