KUALA LUMPUR – The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) confirmed that it has nominated Thailand’s Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul for the Badminton World Federation (BWF) president post and former BAM president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria to be a council member.
Initially, Scoop reported that both Khunying and Norza were the standout choices for the world governing body’s top post ahead of the presidential elections in April next year.
However, to ensure the president’s post returns to Asia while avoiding a two-way contest, a highly reliable source revealed to Scoop that Norza, in a show of solidarity, decided to make way for his Thai counterpart, who is the current BWF deputy president.
“Yes, I can confirm that BAM has nominated Madam Khunying for the BWF president post and Tan Sri Norza to be a council member.
“This way, we not only show solidarity for a fellow Asian candidate but also ensure there is no contest,” said BAM Secretary General Datuk Kenny Goh when contacted.
It is also understood that Norza BAM’s nomination for BWF council member is seconded by Badminton Thailand
Notably, nominations for the positions will close early next month. Current president Poul Erik Hoyer will not seek re-election due to declining health.
Historically, since the BWF’s establishment in 1934 (then known as the International Badminton Federation), only four of 19 presidents have been Asians.
It is understood that if an Asian candidate assumes the BWF presidency next year, badminton’s position within the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will be strengthened.
This would also bring a focus on meaningful reforms rather than on superficial initiatives like Air Badminton or the relay point scoring system, which was recently introduced at the World Junior Championships.
After the Paris Olympics, Norza stepped down as the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president after seven years at the helm. He is currently the vice president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the honorary president of Badminton Asia and the president of the Olympic Council of Malaysia. November 7, 2024