KUALA LUMPUR – The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has responded to the allegations made by the Malaysian Paralympic Council (MPC) regarding the lack of development for para-badminton players.
Speaking to Scoop, BAM secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh stated that the association is not responsible for the nurturing and development of para-badminton players as it falls outside their jurisdiction.
“The responsibility for developing and nurturing para-badminton players does not fall under our purview, and I am unsure why MPC is questioning us on this matter.
“BAM’s role is to govern the para-badminton shuttlers and assist in their registration for Para-Badminton World Federation (PBWF) competitions.
“In fact, it is the National Sports Council (NSC) that is responsible for scouting and developing talent, not us. Our job is to provide administrative and financial support if needed.
“We have efficiently fulfilled our role over the years by working closely with NSC, as they possess the expertise in this area,” said Goh.
BAM also refutes the allegations made by the MPC that the badminton body takes credit for the achievements of para-shuttlers in major tournaments.
“We at BAM have never claimed credit for any of the para-shuttlers’ achievements in their respective tournaments.
“We have never had any intention of claiming credit, as we are aware that their victories are the result of their own hard work.
“To be frank, we have provided assistance to many para-shuttlers, including allowances and bonuses when they win tournaments. However, this does not mean we are claiming credit; we are simply supporting them.
“BAM is more than willing to provide support to MPC. For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic, when shuttler Cheah Liek Hou requested additional training, we even offered our Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) training centre for him to prepare for his tournaments. So, yes, we are more than happy to continue assisting them,” added Goh.
Cheah Liek Hou became the first Malaysian to win a badminton gold at an Olympic-level tournament, after emerging victorious in the men’s singles SU5 at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
In contrast, able-bodied athletes have yet to win any gold medals in badminton on the Olympic stage.
Cheah, who was recently honoured with the Best Para-Athlete award at the SAM-100Plus awards in August, has claimed a total of six medals – four gold and two bronze – in both the men’s singles and doubles categories since his debut at the Para-Asian Games in 2010. – October 22, 2023