KUALA LUMPUR — One way for Malaysian badminton players to earn big is by turning professional, following the example of men’s singles star Lee Zii Jia.
This, among many, is the view of former Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) general manager, Lawrence Chew.
Over the past couple of days, the Malaysian sports fraternity has been set alight with varying views and opinions after Scoop reported that several prominent shuttlers have demanded annual salaries as high as RM2 million from BAM.
And while top men’s doubles player Aaron Chia has firmly denied being among those who demanded such figures, the national body has not refuted any of the claims.
Similarly, many from the sports industry, both locally and internationally, have reached out to Scoop to offer their insights, but most chose to remain anonymous, for one reason or the other.
However, Lawrence, who has been based in Switzerland for over three decades, shared his views openly.
“If BAM is to service the players and at the same time pay a huge salary, it will clearly have no end.
“RM2 million is not a need but a greed. All their needs are already covered by BAM. Let them earn it through their own effort, while the money is used on players who really need it, especially the younger up-and-coming ones.
“Lee Zii Jia (Team LZJ) is the model that BAM should look into,” said Lawrence, who was also a former Badminton World Federation (BWF) council member, as well as a Badminton Europe board member.
For context, world number seven Zii Jia left BAM at the height of his career in 2022 to sign a sponsorship deal with sports equipment brand Victor.
The details of the deal were never disclosed but are reportedly in the range of RM11 million over a period of seven years.
Soon after, the Kedahan, along with his sister Lee Zii Yii, set up Team LZJ, a professional team comprising a manager, head coach, physical trainer, physiotherapist, and sparring partners.
Despite his professional status, Zii Jia continues to receive national call-ups for major events such as the Asian Games, Thomas Cup, and Badminton Asia Team Championships.
Looking ahead, Lawrence, who still handles badminton projects in Switzerland, suggested a hybrid model for BAM.
“A national association should let all players turn professional and work their ranking to get the national body’s support through funding. What the association needs is the players’ service when the time comes to represent the country.
“With this system, the association can negotiate with the government to get the support according to their results. It’s also like what the Olympics are giving through their incentives.
“This way, the budget can be used for development and junior programmes, instead of spending it on top players who are already professional and earning through other channels.
“It works with tennis. The national federation spends their budget on development and strategy but doesn’t get involved with the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) players, except when they represent the country in the Davis Cup or Olympics.
“According to Scoop’s article, the players want RM2 million salaries but they probably don’t see what’s the costs behind everything. When they are professionals, they will understand better.
“If a professional player is earning RM10 million but in reality only brings home RM1.5 million in net profit, how would BAM be able to fund them with RM2 million then?”
With the new Olympic cycle approaching, this standoff between BAM and the players is unlikely to resolve soon, leaving many eager for a conclusion: what happens if the players’ demands go unmet? — October 30, 2024