KUALA LUMPUR – The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) is still awaiting approval to conduct central training camps abroad in preparation for the upcoming Thomas/Uber Cup, scheduled for April 28 in Chengdu, China.
Despite the pressing timeline, BAM secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh explained that their requests sent to several countries are still pending responses.
Hong Kong and Macau are among the top contenders for BAM’s training locations, given their proximity to China, which is set to host pivotal tournaments including the Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) and the Thomas/Uber Cup.
The proposed overseas training initiative, a key component of BAM’s submission to the RTG committee, encompasses two sets of training camps.
The first training camp is expected to be held on March 26 before the start of the BAC in Ningbo from April 9 to 14, followed by another session ahead of the Thomas/Uber Cup in Chengdu.
“For our Thomas/Uber Cup preparations, we are still in the process of finalising the arrangements, whether in Hong Kong or Macau.
“We are still waiting for approval from several countries because it is not easy, considering that many of them are also channelling resources into Olympic preparations,” Kenny told Scoop.
Meanwhile, BAM is relieved to have secured training facilities at Club Le Volant Airois in Aire-sur-la Lys, France, before the start of the Paris Olympics in July.
“We have connections with clubs there, and especially during the Olympics season, many of them will offer facilities for foreign teams to train.
“It’s not just us; other countries like Indonesia will also train in different cities. When we compete abroad, we need time to adjust to the time zone differences of the host country.
“This is part of our early planning for players eligible for the Olympics,” he added. – March 14, 2024