KUALA LUMPUR – After a brief hiatus, the Malaysia Purple League (MPL) is gearing up for a triumphant return.
Speaking to Scoop, former MPL chief executive officer, Datuk Jack Koh, said the MPL is set to make a comeback under fresh leadership, with a renewed commitment to resolving ongoing issues that have plagued the tournament.
“The tournament was temporarily halted due to the pandemic, and the previous management was unable to convince many of the clubs to participate and sponsors to fund the league.
“I still have good contacts with the organisers, and they told me that the new leadership is working on addressing several key issues that had been a cause for concern in the league.
“One of the top priorities is to enhance the league’s financial stability, ensuring that it can sustain itself in the long run.
“This involves securing sponsorships and partnerships that will provide a solid financial foundation for the MPL,” said Jack.
The former badminton international, who was a gold medalist in the mixed doubles category in the 2006 Malaysian Games in Kedah, said that management is also trying to negotiate with the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) to provide a match grant for the teams that will be participating in the revamped edition of the tournament.
“The management, even under my leadership or the previous leadership, has never charged an exorbitant fee from participating clubs that were newly established.
“We have always offered a discounted participation fee for new clubs, and the new leadership is also advocating for a match and participation grant for all the clubs participating in the league from KBS.
“The management is trying to help all the clubs that aim to participate in the league, as match grants can help these clubs alleviate their financial burdens,” said Jack.
Jack further highlighted that he hopes to see the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) giving more priority to promoting the league for the betterment of the sport in Malaysia.
“The MPL is recognised by BAM; however, we are not seeing enough efforts from BAM in promoting the league as much as they promote tournaments organised by the state badminton associations.
“MPL is putting a high level of commitment and dedication into elevating the standards of badminton in Malaysia, and the level of support has been lower than before.
“Sometimes, when a few of our players playing in the league get injured and we refer them to the National Sports Institute, they tend to charge exorbitant fees for their medical care. These are a few of the things that we hope BAM can help us with for the betterment of the league,” added Jack.
MPL was established in 2013 with the aim of developing the potential and honing the skills of Malaysian badminton players, raising their level of competitiveness and leading them to the international stage.
Over the past decade, MPL introduced tournaments such as the Malaysia Purple League Junior, Malaysia Purple League Corporate, and Malaysia Purple League Professional.
The MPLJ tournament was established in 2015 and had a successful run until its cancellation earlier this year. The tournament featured 20 grassroots clubs over the seven years it ran. – September 13, 2023