KUALA LUMPUR – Former Olympic silver medalist Chan Peng Soon is urging the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) to bolster the national mixed doubles programme and refrain from treating it as a mere last resort for players seeking to revive their careers.
This marked Chan Peng Soon’s final statement as he officially retired from professional badminton today, bidding farewell alongside his partner, Cheah Yee See, following their defeat against Chinese duo, Cheng Xing and Li Qian, in the first round of the Malaysia Masters.
Peng Soon initially embarked on his badminton journey as a men’s doubles player alongside Lim Khim Wah in 2009.
However, he transitioned to the mixed doubles programme shortly after to team up with Goh Liu Ying.
Together, the duo achieved remarkable success, notably clinching the silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
This achievement marked a significant turning point in Malaysia’s badminton landscape, which had traditionally focused predominantly on men’s singles and men’s doubles events.
Despite their achievements, at 36 years old, Peng Soon laments the lack of emphasis placed on the mixed doubles event at the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM).
“I hope that BAM can continue to prioritise the mixed doubles department, rather than considering it as a last resort after men’s singles and men’s doubles players. It should be viewed as one of the most important components of the national squad.
“I believe they can improve the department and not treat it as an afterthought. If that happens, our progress will be slower in achieving world-class status.
“In Malaysia, mixed doubles have not received much attention. Perhaps since I won the silver medal at the Rio Olympics, some have started to pay attention to this event, but it still lags behind others.
“So, I hope more people will pay special attention to this event because if mixed doubles win, the titles and prizes are on par with men’s doubles. There’s no reason to look down on this event, and that’s something I don’t understand,” said Peng Soon.
In his nearly two-decade-long career, Peng Soon also shared the secret behind his success, particularly highlighting his teenage years when he earned selection for the national camp at the age of 16 from state trials in Penang, rather than following the conventional path through the Bukit Jalil Sports School.
“I entered ABM from the state level, and for the first six months there, I didn’t receive any salary because I was on probation, but I was provided with accommodation and meals.
“At that time, I wondered whether this chosen path promised a bright future or not because I was still a teenager and couldn’t see my future direction clearly.
“Moreover, some looked down on me during training just because I was new, and my game standard was still low. But I showed diligence, worked hard, and even showed up for practise on Sundays.
“For me, it wasn’t easy. My advice to young players: if you want to be a world-class national player, you must work hard, there are no shortcuts.
“Time passes quickly, and you can’t always think that you’re young,” he added. – May 22, 2024